So a few weeks ago in the post “Coach, heal Thyself” I wrote about the realization that it was time, again, to step back , take stock, and make some changes in my life to honor myself, my family, and my health. It’s been a great several weeks since then, and I’ve made some critical decisions through applying the same process I use for my clients to myself. This process, which is worth going through every through years or when you simply feel the need to “change something”, is affirming, focused, and outcome-oriented. I support clients through this process all the time and the results are wonderful; I am privileged to be a partner with them as they go through this process! It involves 5 steps:

1. Write your mission statement. We’ve done this for companies and organizations we work with or work in, but many of us have never done it for ourselves. Once you’ve done it, it’s good to revisit it for accuracy as you move through your life and make changes where you need to.
2. Look at the degree to which each activity and habit you have right now is consistent with your mission statement. Many will be, and others will not be. Make a commitment to enhance the ones that fit your mission and jettison the ones that do not.
3. Make an action plan for re-alignment. Develop an action plan for adjusting the way you conduct your day-to-day life to align with your mission statement. Included in this plan are phasing out the things that do not fit, perhaps replacing them with things that do, and enhancing the things you already do which support your mission.
4. Execute the plan. Set dates and create an accountability framework for yourself to make the plan you came up with a reality. Include specific dates by which you will accomplish or start things that are part of the plan.
5. Celebrate and be kind to yourself. Change is hard, and when you are in the process, it takes discipline. Find a way to reward yourself as you make the changes, and be gentle with yourself when you stumble, which you will.

I have recently completed a cycle of this myself, and am enjoying the benefits of making some tough choices and reaping the benefits. To summarize:

My Mission Statement: My purpose is to express my commitment to helping others, my dedication to my family, and my desire for a balanced and harmonious life. I do this by empowering others to excel through my coaching, by making choices that prioritize my family, and by nurturing my own mental and physical health.

My assessment of how my current activities supported this showed that I needed to change the number of hours I work every week, reduce the amount of turmoil in my position at the University by changing the focus of my work there, and develop a healthy relationship with food and my body.

My action steps include not checking email or taking work phone calls after business hours and on the weekends, executing an exit strategy for my work as an Associate Dean and finding another leadership position that allows me to spend more time with my scholarship, students, and family, and working with a coach to support me in breaking my diet cycle and being present in my body to support my health.

The plan is currently being executed, I’ve met the goals I’d planned to by this point and om on track for the longer-term ones, and I feel GREAT. The relief and the fact that I know I have made good choices is wonderful and reinforces for me why this process is so important to repeat every once in a while! It’s hard to change things, but it is far harder to have lost the chance to change, have it be too late, and live with regret.

Take the time to honor yourself by stepping back, taking stock, listening to your body and mind, and respecting yourself enough to take the time, make the change, and reap the benefits.