TWith the changing of the seasons come changes in our life. Although the year is only four months old, many of you have had major strides in your life that let you know that you are on the right track, that’s great keep going. Others have noticed that some things will have to change if this year is going to be a success. It could be a relationship, a work situation, your home environment, or how you live your life. Acknowledgement is half the battle. When you are willing to go to the mirror and honestly look yourself in the face and admit all is not right, that’s powerful. When you recognize what’s wrong half the energy that has been holding it in place falls off. It’s almost like when the screws start coming out of the legs of a table, you know at some point it’s going to come crashing down and usually it takes something you want with it. The table is your life. The legs are your beliefs and your actions.

This is your chance to rid yourself of the legs that are not working in your life and replace them with a strong new foundation, a foundation for success.

In examining your life some things will stick out like a sore thumb like an unsatisfying career, a dead end relationship or being overweight. Other things you may have to look at on a deeper level, like why are my finances not in tact, or why won’t I do something to improve my chances of obtaining work, or my inability to make a decision in a timely fashion? All of these things and more can be changed to help bring about your best life now. The steps are simple, but the work is on you the individual to bring forth a steady leg for the table called your life.

Step One: Acknowledgement

Look at your life. Take a category a week if you’re afraid of overwhelming yourself, but don’t allow fear to interfere. List the things that are obvious that you know are wrong. An easy way to do it is to create categories. Start with home environment, then work, health, finances, personal development, education, family, friends, and love relationships. In each category have two columns. List the things that you’re proud of on one side and on the other side list what do you do that irritates you. This is crucial, the more honest you are with yourself the stronger your results. With each negative quality that you write down ask yourself “why do you do this?” Some answers are easy, others will require deeper thoughts to get you past the typical answer of “I don’t know.” You pay your bills on time, but you’re not doing anything towards saving or investing money for your future. In answering the question you open yourself up for direction.

For the good things that you have done, give yourself a smiley face, but ask yourself. “why is this important to me?” Why is it important that you serve as a Big Brother? When you acknowledge the positive things that you do and you consciously recognize why you do it, you empower yourself. On the other hand, it’s important to know why you do something, is it because people will respect you, or does it come from your heart? You may realize that your reasoning is faulty and you’ll either have to redefine why you do it, or stop doing it.

Step Two: Dissect – If you could change it what would you change it to?

If the things you do and the people in your life don’t bring you joy it’s easy to say stop seeing them, or stop doing it, but that’s not the case. All things and people do not need to be discarded, some only need a readjustment. Look at your list do you need to leave your marriage or do you need counseling to help you learn better ways to communicate? Do you need to quit your job, or do you need to use the tuition refund program to assist you in making you more competitive in your field or at your company? Maybe you do need a makeover, or maybe just a new hairdo? Do you really need to declare bankruptcy, or do you need credit counseling and a weekend job to help you get a better handle on your debt? Take the time to examine your life and how you can change or enhance it to create what you really want.

Step Three: Challenge: What are you willing to do to bring about change?

Action speaks louder than words. It’s great to acknowledge what’s wrong and even know one or five ways to make it better. However, what are you willing to do over the next thirty days towards bringing about the change you desire? Better yet, what are willing to do TODAY?

The first step doesn’t have to be big, but it does have to be a conscious effort towards your desired result. Order a class schedule towards getting that advanced degree. Call your local church, or go online and do a search and get three referrals for marriage counselors. Call a friend who goes to the gym and ask if you can go with them. Make a move. It’s important that you do something to move towards what you really want. Create a plan to obtain your desire. It’s important to give yourself deadlines so you stay on track. Don’t let thirty days go by without doing something.

Step Four: Follow Through

Keep going. Regardless of the results keep going. You may have to rework your plan, be open to that, don’t let it stop you. Don’t be hard on yourself. It’s important to honor yourself for each step of your journey. Forgive yourself. When you start looking at the things in your life that you are not pleased with it’s important to forgive yourself for the decisions and actions that you’ve done in the past. In forgiving yourself you free yourself up for the blessings that await you. As long as you hold on to regret you block your blessings. You can’t change your past, but you can create your future. Start today.