I have rebooted my life a few times. My most recent reboot was quitting a good paying job in a large city and moving to the country in a smaller city. What does rebooting mean? Think of a computer. Sometimes the application gets stuck and the only way to get it going again is to ‘reboot’ the system – turn it off, then on. Our life is similar. Once in awhile, we get stuck. I think we’ve all been there – a place where things/situations don’t suck but it’s not great either. We just go along existing. We don’t rock it but we don’t put effort into making things better either. So we sit and wait for something to happen – something better to come along and get us out of this hole.

Given we are moving into a new year, I challenge you to ‘reboot’ your life. Do something to get out of your rut. That something you do has to be meaningful but not necessarily drastic – like relocating to another city or quitting your job. It has to be meaningful enough to motivate you.

1. Determine what it is exactly that you are stuck in. This should be easy. It’s probably the thing that brings you the least amount of joy but you do anyhow.

2. Create a Vision of how you want things to be. Think and dream BIG! Make this Vision as real as possible. Write it down. Your Vision needs to be compelling. Be as specific as possible. Using an example of finding a new career, you might write ‘I see myself working in an office with windows that let in natural light. It’s on the top floor of a high rise. The office is decorated with a brown leather sofa, and wood shelves adorned with volumes of books…’ Instead of just saying ‘I see myself working in an office environment’. The more specific you get, the more real it will be.

3. Take action. Jot down the things you need to do to move you toward your Vision. Then everyday, do one of those things. Make sure you break these ‘to do items’ into small actionable steps you can do relatively quickly. In our example, don’t list research potential careers as a step. This can be overwhelming. Instead, break this down into smaller items like: speak to a career counselor/life coach, read about different jobs online etc.

4. Read your Vision every day. Because your Vision is what drives you, read it every day. To make it real, create a photo collage and post it on your wall.

Just remember, you deserve happiness. Why settle for just existing. Reboot your life this year and have an incredible 2010.

New Year Challenge

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