How To Create SMART Goals

SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, are a great way to feel productive and see progress. The SMART goal approach has been proven to help acknowledge and highlight milestones, especially in regard to action plans, and making meaningful progress toward your personal vision of wellness.

Creating SMART goals can support you in clarity and increase your chances of success. By transforming the abstract concepts of wellness visions and insights into tangible, actionable steps, SMART goals effectively propel you towards your desired outcomes. Because of this, SMART goals can be an essential tool in helping you on your journey of making tangible improvements to your lifestyle.

So often, so many of us have big dreams and visions of the life we want to live, and the person we would like to become or even see ourselves being. So why aren't we all living the full expression of those dreams? Well, there are a few reasons, but one big one is that we aren't taking action. Having a goal & intention, then taking steps and making choices every day that get you one step closer, is key. Fear is usually the cause of why we create obstacles in bringing our dreams into fruition. Know this, feel the fear and then take action anyway?

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." ~ Confucius

What if we didn't have to "conquer" our fears? What if we used our fear as a sign that this is a direction we should be going in to explore a new version of ourselves? What if we just created an action plan and simply took the next right step, stayed curious and watched to see where it takes us?

When we make the life changing decision to move from information to transformation, having an intention grounded in your values as to why you are heading in the direction you have chosen and connecting to it emotionally, is incredibly important for the success of your goals. However, having a vision of what you are working towards, and creating a path on how you will get there is what takes it from concept to action. Using the SMART goal strategy can provide focus, increase commitment, productivity and boost self-esteem and who doesn't want more of that!!!

Ready to give it a try???

Here is how you can implement the SMART goal system to support you in bringing a vision into reality!

• Specific ~ Include as many details as you can when you are defining your goals. This makes it more actionable and approachable instead of just a concept that is unclear or unfocused.

• Measurable ~ Define criteria using hard facts to measure your progress. This makes it easier to ensure you are staying on track and meeting your short term, momentum building, goals as you make progress. Track you progress frequently and be sure to acknowledge how far you have come.

• Achievable ~ Be honest with yourself about the time and energy that you will have available and be willing to commit to. When you believe you can achieve a goal, you will more likely embrace the attitude, abilities, and skills you need to reach your target. Your goal should be challenging enough to keep you motivated and inspired yet are practical enough to complete within the time frame you selected.

• Relevant ~ Be sure that your goal aligns with your values and your authentic self. Check in with yourself to see if you are getting caught up in what you think you should be doing or if this goal aligns with your wellness vision for yourself. What are your core desires?

• Time-bound ~ Anchoring your goal with a time frame and then creating a schedule and plan with all the action steps you need to take in order to reach your goal, can feel daunting for many but is one of the most valuable steps. Grounding your goal with a deadline creates a sense of urgency and accountability that will keep you motivated in action. A timeline is also a great way to help keep you on track and focused. Creating your long-term deadline date and then breaking down all of the tasks into small actionable steps with deadlines as well, ensures that you are moving in the right direction and help prevent procrastination or a sense of overwhelm.

You have all the steps it takes to achieve your goals, and yet it can still be so challenging to make it happen. The power of support and accountability is often underestimated. This is why, by popular demand, I am setting up my first Group Coaching Program that will launch 11/1/23! This will be a small intimate group of 3-5 people working on individual wellness plans with the guidance of my coaching and the support of the others in the group. This will be a 90-day Online Program and will include bi-weekly for virtual coaching sessions. Keep a lookout for sign-ups, space is limited!!!

Remember that even one small step is still progress. Don't measure your success by the size of the step you took, measure it by your connection and dedication to the big picture and that you made that one right choice in the right direction towards your best self!

All the Love,

Pamela

The Power And Freedom Of Consistency

Maintaining routines and consistencies allows our mind and body to settle into the familiarity and the comfort of the known which then allows space for our creative mind to open up. Habits are a way for our brain to conserve energy. This is when our imagination has the space to play and begin to envision something new. Consistency builds momentum; momentum builds confidence which builds more momentum. If you are looking to changing your life, pay close attention to the habits you hold, they are directly connected to the life you build.

Last month, I spoke about the importance of choosing different when we are looking for transformation and change. While there are times in our lives where we need to shake things up and break out of our form in the name of growth, there are many more times of our lives where consistency and predictability are called for to help us achieve these goals. Having a consistent & predictable day to day schedule allows our nervous system to relax which allows us to move through our day with easy and flow. In addition, when we feel stress, our brain switches to auto pilot and seeks comfort and predictability and reverts to what is known. In this regard, our habits are more powerful than inspiration and motivation during stages of change. When we are not feeling motivated or inspired, it is the autopilot habits we set into place that are the key to take us through and keep us on track during these inevitable times. When we set ourselves up with a schedule of positive, nourishing and supportive habits, they can help keep us from slipping into fear-based emotions like anxiety or depression. With a schedule or routine filled with healthy, positive, passionate and growth filled activities, our day-to-day subconscious actions will allow us to see long lasting change in our lives even during the challenging moments.

What we do on a daily basis mould our lives more than some of us are aware of. How we use our time should be budgeted, just as we budget our finances. Setting long and short-term goals might be step one to creating the life you want, but the consistency of your actions are what it takes to get you to the finish line.

Creating a routine, schedule or goal and holding ourselves accountable for staying consistent with how we spend our time also builds trust within us.

"Develop your confidence by keeping promises to yourself."

~ Ed Mylett

Starting our day off with a supportive morning routine that allows us to enter the day grounded & balanced from a space of gratitude & intention.

In addition, ending our days with a nourishing night routine allows our bodies the time it needs to wind down and transition into a place of rest, relaxation and restoration. Taking the time each day to connect to our intentions, values and dreams, will influence how we move throughout the day and ensure that we are connected to the version of ourselves that we are most proud of.

What we think about becomes our attitude which forms our beliefs. What we believe forms our character and influences the choices we make. The choices and actions we take become our habits, and our habits are who we are becoming. Taking the time each day to listen to and check in with our thoughts; conscious and subconscious, are what will set our aspirations into motion.

I like to believe that happiness is when what we think, say, feel and do are all in alignment.

We go through stages of growth and transformation, when it seems like things are moving so quickly. And then we go through stages of plateau once the dust settles, and we can enjoy the reality of what we have just created for ourselves as we begin to settle into a new level of existence. When was the last time you thought about how you budget and spend your time? I encourage you to make checking in with your habits and routines on at least a quarterly basis or even better, a monthly basis. See what is no longer serving you and can let go of in order to make room for something supportive and nourishing. I heard something recently that said if you are feeling drained and depleted, often it isn't because you are doing too much, but that you are not doing enough of the things that restore and rejuvenate you. I keep a very busy schedule but ensure that it is balanced with all of the activities I know, keep me mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually fed. When I start to let my selfcare habits slip, that is when I notice other aspects of my life slip out of balance.

I challenge you to ask yourself; do the actions I'm taking and routines I hold daily, represent the version of myself that I wish to become?

All the love,

Pamela

When we lose our footing

Do you know that feeling when it feels like you're taken under by a riptide? When you can't tell which way is up and which way is down. When it almost feels like you can't remember who you were the day before and not quite sure of who you will show up as tomorrow?

It can be so disorienting and scary. No sense of direction, choices or possibilities that might lie ahead. The uncertainty is the most worrisome part of it all because the comfort and security of predictability and consistency is where we feel safest. In the Ayurveda glossary, Shunyata or in Sanskrit Sūnyata translates to emptiness, hollowness, voidness. It is described by OSHO as "no-thingness". When we are in that hollow empty space, only then do we have room to let something new in. We need to first empty our cup before we can refill it. That void is where absolute potential lives.

Knowing that change begins at the edge of our comfort zone, what if we began to view those moments a little differently? What if we began to be grateful for those experiences? What if we took a deep breath, felt trust in the journey and allowed our perspective to shift? What is happening in those moments is that we are transforming into a new version of ourselves. What if we welcomed the discomfort and just allowed ourselves to sit with the feelings and experience it with every cell in our bodies and just try to find the comfort within discomfort.

All too often when we feel this uneasy feeling, we look outside of ourselves to see what is causing this disorientation and try to assign a cause, blame or reason for the disruption so that we can control the situation. The impulse to try and change or control the feeling can push us to seek out external stimulation or distraction to try and "fix" how we are feeling on the inside. Often those things we impulsively gravitate towards are the very actions and patterns that will hold us back and prevent us from moving into our new expression of self that is forming!

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like" ~ Laozi

What if next time we felt ourselves gravitating towards these impulsive actions, we took a moment to pause, look inward and come home to ourselves just as we are. We could use the opportunity to sit quietly with ourselves and get to know the new version that is about to emerge. We need to make room and hold space for the new to feel welcome.

My favorite go-to when I am feeling this way is meditation and journaling. Meditation doesn't have to mean you are reaching a higher level of consciousness and connecting to universal energy for 2 hours. It doesn't have to be and often isn't that epic. Usually for me, it is just allowing myself to feel and get to know my breath, my body's needs and a time to just listen.

Try to quiet the mind and if there are many thoughts, thank them and let them pass like the clouds. Allow yourself to see where the silence takes you.

All you are doing is getting comfortable with the present moment and allowing the new version of yourself to integrate. Listen for the whispers that feel like they are coming from a more simple, pure place.

Journaling random thoughts and feelings in a way that feels effortless and easy for you to just get the swarm of, often contrasting and contradicting, thoughts out of your mind and release them from taking up space.

I invite you to practice this shift of perspective with me and see how this new understanding of what is taking place resonates with you and transforms how you experience these inevitable moments in our lives. This state of being is where pure potential lives. Trust the process. Know that something sacred is about to be born.

Shanti ~ Shunyata ~ Ananda

Peace ~ Emptiness ~ Bliss

All the love,

Pamela