Making it Happen in 2009!

Okay, it's one thing to say, as we all have, "Thank goodness 2008 is over. Boy, I sure hope 2009 is better. I mean, it has to be, right?" And quite another thing to take the bull by the horns and make it - 2009 - everything we want it to be. Look, this isn't the kind of year we want to leave up for grabs, right? Not after what we've been through. And the good news is that, although bad stuff happens that is totally outside of our control, there's a lot of good stuff we can create if we actually put our minds - and hearts - to it.

Maybe you want (and need!) a new job, maybe you want to change careers entirely, maybe you're looking for a new relationship (or making the one you've got better) or maybe you want to feel healthier, look better and get your bod in shape. Whatever it is, if you follow these simple steps, you'll have a much greater chance of making it happen in 2009.

1) Create a clear vision of exactly what you want. It it's a new job, paint a visual picture of exactly what it could look like, what you'd be doing, how much you'd be contributing. If it's a trim, healthy body, what will you look like, feel like, what will people be saying about you. If it's a relationship, how will you and the other person be feeling about each other, about life in general? Flesh out the vision, color it in. Put in all the details you can so that you can almost "taste" how good it will be when it becomes a reality. (Walt Disney said, "Build the castle first!" He was right. Because when you can feel the magic, you can go the distance every time.)

2) Edit! Edit out all the negative voices, your own included, about why this'll never happen: the job market is in the tank, they'll never hire me. Or, I'm not disciplined so I'll never stick to a diet or quit smoking or whatever. Or, I'm over the hill and no one is going to find me attractive, etc., etc. Delete it! Let it all go. Go home and throw out fifty things! You've got to clear the decks if you're going to make room for the future you want.

3) Design the future from the future. Pretend you've already accomplished your goal. You've got the job, the bod, the girl or guy. How'd you do it? Draw a triangle on a piece of paper. At the top of the triangle - or "mountain" - write the date when you'll have gotten what you want. Be specific. Put down the day, date, month and year. Then, working down the "mountain" ask yourself, "What did I do right before that, that allowed for that to happen?" Write it down. And then, right below that write down what you did right before that to make that happen. Continue all the way down the mountain with your "steps" until you reach today - the day you've decided to design the future. When you're done, you'll have a plan. Now all you have to do is execute it.

4) Anticipate that you'll get what you want. Assume things will go your way. Walk into every situation - a job interview, a blind date, the gym - anticipating that you've got everything it takes to make it happen. On the whole, we get what we expect in life - even from ourselves. So expect the best, okay? Good.

Happy New Year, my friend.

Gail

Celebrate Yourself!

Okay, this is definitely a tough time...we've heard enough about that, haven't we? But here's a suggestion. Do what my husband and two daughters will do tomorrow night on Christmas Eve. We'll be reviewing our "defining moments" from the past year. A defining moment is a moment when you found something in yourself you didn't know you had - and pulled it out. It's a moment when you said, "Here's how it's gonna go," or "Here's what I've decided..." It might be a time when you stood up - when it would have been so much easier to sit down. But it's always a moment after which you never quite think of yourself in the same way. We all have them - big ones, small ones. Take a look back into the year and find yours. And help the people you love find theirs.

When you remember your defining moments, you'll see that a pattern will emerge. And the pattern is called, "courage." And you'll realize that you have the courage and the energy you need to step forward into the New Year - in spite of the challenges, the chaos and the noise - with all flags flying.

You've already got what it takes. You just have to "know" it. So celebrate yourself - and the people you love. It's exactly the right time to do it...

All the best,

Gail

Don't Hunker Down!

It's very tempting right now to hunker down, to wait for things to get easier, or for there to be light at the end of the tunnel - before you step forward, present your idea, try your luck at something new. Don't do it. This is exactly the right time to step up - not back. The Chinese are right - there is always opportunity in the crisis. The trick is to spot it - and seize it. But that takes courage - enough courage to speak up, stand up and step up to the plate. We're looking for leaders. Why not you?

Gail Blanke

Wrapping Your Arms Around Life...

I was lucky enough to spend the last three days with my husband, Jim and our grown-up daughters, Kate and Abigail. We always have an incredible time together - we all love to cook - (and eat) and nothing makes me happier than the smell of garlic sauteeing, Billy Holiday singing in the backgroud and the sound of Kate's and Abigail's laughter. But Saturday night something especially wonderful happened. We were all at a party, busy chatting with old friends when suddenly, in the middle of a conversation, and for no apparent reason at all, Abigail put her arms around me, hugged me and said, "I love you, Mom."

"Wow," a friend of mine said. "I hope when my daughter is twenty-five and on her own like yours, that she'll hug me like that. You know, out of the blue..."

"She will," I said. And then I remembered my own mom whose been gone for awhile now, and how she said, "Wrap your arms around the special moments, darling, because in the end, they're what makes it all worthwhile. Look for them, love them and wrap your arms around them."

Be on the look out for those moments, okay? And when they show up, you know what to do.
And then share them with us, would you?

Thanks!

Gail

Hey!

I've just finished up my new book, "Throw Out Fifty Things - Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life" that comes out in March.  I think you're gonna love it. I take you through all the rooms in your house - from your attic to your garage - and even into your medicine chest to help you get rid of all the physical debris that's been weighing you down and holding you back. And then when you're good and warmed up, I take you into the far reaches of your mind so you can dump all that mental and emotional baggage you've been carrying around. (I call it "life plaque.") And boy, when you start tossing out stuff like old regrets, bad memories and limited views of yourself, you can really start moving forward. 

Here's the thing: You can't grow if you don't let go. I'm not kidding. So get cracking now, will you? I'm mean you don't have to wait until March to start re-charging your engines. So go to www.throwoutfiftythings.com and find out how to get started. Like today.  And let me know what you've throw out and how it feels. And believe me, it's gonna feel good.

I'll see ya.

Gail

Welcome to my blog!

I can't tell you how happy I am that you've stopped by. I'm committed to creating a community of people who want to support each other as they step forward into the next great segment of their lives. I hope you'll join us. You can count on me to help you find your courage and rekindle your passion, create a powerful vision that will propel you forward - and let go of anything that would stand in the way of bringing that vision to life. I'm here to help you discover how good you already are...

Please let me know what you're thinking, or if you have a question or comment about what I've written. I'd love to hear from you. Just click on "comment," and we'll connect soon.

All the best,

Gail

Today is the day to step forward...

Do you ever hear yourself say, "Well, let's just wait and see what happens?" Or, "I think I'll just wait til the dust settles - or at least until the other shoe drops?" We spend a lot of time waiting, don't we? Waiting for permission, waiting to be invited, waiting for the signal, waiting to be discovered.

Some of us are waiting for more data: graphs, pie charts, risk-analysis studies...or for the planets to be aligned. Then we'll step up, then we'll make our mark, then we'll move forward. And while we're waiting, our whole lives could just float on by.

So here's today's news: This isn't a movie you're watching called "Your Life" where you just kick back with a bag of popcorn to see what happens next. This is it. You're the writer, producer, director and star of this work of art. And you get to decide what happpens next - no one else. So today is the day to be bold, to step forward without waiting to be invited, with all flags flying, and say, "I'm here now. And nothing will ever be the same again."