It's All About Now

By Lynn M. Scheurell

"There is only one day left, always starting over; it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk." ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

It's Christmas morning, and less than a week until we ring in 2007. With every such holiday, I measure where I've been and look to see if I'm on track with where I think I want, and am meant, to go. In my measurement of what's behind me, I am filled with the spirit of this season in gratitude, joy and celebration.

This year, I have a lot to celebrate – wonderful clients, friends who live in my heart, wide open space to hold lots of new, amazing things (as a result of a big life cleanse this year!). After being in my business for the last eight years, I have more clarity than ever before about the importance of what I do to help people have a better quality of life on their terms. And I am happy – really, really happy – in living my life.

This kind of happy is hard to define…I used to get little tastes of it as a wisp here and there with a song, a special moment, a movie or a really good day. Now it's pretty much every day. And every day is a new beginning for even more greatness to show up in my world. My intention is that you, and everyone you know, and everyone they know, get to enjoy this kind of happiness every day – one beginning at a time.

My progress isn't always measurable a day at a time, but when I look at where I am now, I am blown away by the sum total of my new beginnings. When I think about how I got to where I am, I have to say it's by having each day throughout the year be its' own new beginning. If I needed to take a day to clean something up, I did. If I needed to reinvent something, I did that. If I needed to innovate, ask for help, or slow down, I did those things too. It might be a little different for me, because I have to (and want to) walk my talk, given the work I do… but if you're still reading this, it's because there's something new waiting for you to be, express, do or have.

Sometimes it's easier to think of big change as happening in big ways, like making dramatic New Year's resolutions, because it's the decision point for transformation. That shift can be immediate, and has the potential to change your life. At that point, you are saying good-bye to what was, and claiming that you want something new. Personally, I think the biggest benefit of a new year is to wake people up that time is passing – the time is now to realize that you can have more!

However vital this decision is as a turning point, the lasting change happens in the countless small ways afterward that demonstrate the true commitment. Once you've decided that something needs to be different, you have to know your starting point and have a sense of where you want to go – otherwise, you won't know when you've arrived! And then it's all the middle stuff…it's taking consistent action, knowing why you're doing what you're doing, and sticking with it to create what you want.

Three Action Steps You Can Take: 1. Make a list of everything you want in life. That means everything… make a list of the 100 things you want to be, the 100 things you want to do, and the 100 things you want to have. In any case, it's important you articulate your wants and desires so the universe can deliver on them.2. List your reasons why it is important for you to be, have or do the things on this list. Your "why" is much bigger than what's on the list – if you see movies like "Dreamgirls", you'll understand the power of a meaningful personal why.3. Take a look around your life right now. Whatever isn't serving you anymore, or supporting where you want to go, needs to be released. This can be thoughts, beliefs, habits, relationships, clutter, baggage, old shoes – whatever. You have to have space to grow – it's a bit like pruning your life.
Once you know what you want and why you want it, you are free to address and release whatever is between you and it. All it takes are small changes every day starting right now.

Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, helps entrepreneurs remember who they are so they can align everything they do accordingly. This simple premise helps people create success from the inside out and by their own definition. Download a free report to learn "Your 6 Power Points for Personal Success – and How What You Don’t Know Can Cost You!" at http://www.mycreativecatalyst.com