4. OAK - Own it, Be Accountable, Celebrate

Your goal starts as a little acorn. In the right elements it begins to grow roots deep into the soil. With some perseverance a shoot will emerge from the ground. With dedication that shoot begins to form branches, leaves and more little acorns. You may lose your leaves and need some pruning along the way, but in time you will grow to be that "Mighty Oak."

M - Mindset

I - Identify your goals

G - Get specific

H - Have a vision

T - Time-bound

Y - You

- PAUSE AND BREATHE

O - Own it

A - Be Accountable

K - Know when to celebrate

This week we are finishing off the last three stages. OAK.

Own it

You are 100% responsible for reaching your goal. All of the actions you take or don't take, successes you have or don't have, are because of you. It is up to you to stop looking at other people or things as the reason for not succeeding. Instead ask yourself "What do I need to do to fix, move forward and learn from this." Your goal is just that, "yours." It is your vision, your plan and your desire. Your success relies on you. To become that "Mighty Oak" you must take responsibility, allow yourself to fully believe that it is possible, commit to making it happen and "own it" every step of the way.

Be Accountable

Does the word "accountability" make you cringe? It does have a negative ring to it but staying true to yourself should not be unpleasant. Being accountable will help you make consistent, steady progress towards your goal. But how you ask?

The proper mindset is where it all begins. A positive outlook will help you keep a clear mind, overcome obstacles you encounter, and help you stay motivated. Be clear on what you want, revisit your values often, believe it can happen, and be honest with yourself. For more ways to gain that proper mindset read last weeks Weekly Seed, "It's all about you."

Commit to a schedule. Often times we are so focussed on becoming that "Mighty Oak" that we forget about all the steps it takes to get to that title of "mighty." Follow the specific time-oriented tasks that you have set in place. Use a calendar, notebook or daily reminder on your phone to keep you on track. Whatever means you use, make sure you visit it every day, note your progress and follow through.

Embrace discipline. Self-discipline is not about becoming a superhuman or beating yourself up for not doing what you should be doing. Embrace the changes you are making and the steps you are taking, and always remind yourself of the whys you are doing this. I'm too tired, I don't have time, it's too cold; there will always be something preventing you from making that next step. Challenge your excuses and stick to your plan. Make it easy on yourself to succeed and plan ahead. Meal prep, carve out a specific time in the day and get a good night sleep. By planning ahead you are more apt to stay on course. Know that there will be times when you will falter. When things get tough don't allow yourself to give up. Hold your branches up. The sky is the limit.

Reaching your goal can be an overwhelming process, but you don't have to tackle it alone. Find an accountability partner that will help you stay on track and keep you motivated. Whether you choose a friend, family member, co-worker or life coach, make sure that that someone is truly committed. Someone that will help you stick to your plan, call you out on your BS, be a sounding board, is non-judgemental, encourages you, and shares your happiness when you succeed.

Celebrate

It is imperative to take the time to celebrate the success you have worked so hard to achieve. But what about all the little successes you have had along the way? The little wins are an integral part of reaching your end goal. In my opinion, they are the most deserving of celebration. Not only does celebrating your successes feel good in the moment, it also motivates you to achieve more. This doesn't mean you have to throw an elaborate party or buy an extravagant gift; just find a way to appreciate where you were and where you are now. A reminder to yourself that "you've got this!"

Just like the old proverb states, "From a little acorn a Mighty Oak will grow," your goal can achieve that same mighty status if you follow the Mighty Oak cycle.

Thanks for reading The Weekly Seed!

Laura

3. It's all about "YOU"

Your values are clear, you have a goal to work towards and you have the plan to make it happen. But there is one important thing standing in your way; YOU. This week we are going to complete the "Mighty" by focussing on you.

M - Mindset

I - Identify your goals

G - Get specific

H - Have a vision

T - Time-bound

Y - You

- PAUSE AND BREATHE

O - Own it

A - Be Accountable

K - Know when to celebrate

Your success in becoming that Mighty Oak starts with YOU. If you are in tune with yourself, it allows you to do bigger and greater things. It allows you to move forward in all aspects of you life; including with that goal you just set.

Whatever makes your soul happy... do that. For years I did whatever it was that made everyone else happy. If I am to be truthful, I got walked all over. So, trust me when I tell you this; find something that lights you up. Find something that is just for you and only you and make it part of your world every day. No more excuses. No more "I don't have time" just do it. Read that book that's been on the shelf for years, take that walk, paint that picture. You will be amazed at how much your life will change when you are finally living for you.

Conquer your fears and step out of your comfort zone. Get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Trust your gut, try it and don't let the opinions of other or your own fears stand in your way. Confession from this little acorn; I was terrified to put my life coaching business out there. Thoughts of "Was I good enough?", "Could I actually help people?", "What if people don't come to me?" all rang through my mind. But here I am at blog post #3, reaching people, connecting with other like-minded entrepreneurs and making it happen. If I didn't take that first uncomfortable step, you wouldn't be reading this right now.

Affirmations. To some this may sound silly but affirmations are a great way to shift negative thoughts and feeling into positive ones. They have the power to motivate you towards your goals and give you the self confidence and the self belief to move forward. For affirmations to truly work you need to do them every day, 2 or 3 times through out the day, and truly believe in what you are saying. "I am strong", "I am beautiful", "I can achieve anything". Come up with your own powerful affirmations and you will be amazed at how they begin to take charge of your thoughts and feelings.

Look at the bright side and be grateful every day. Being grateful gives you a more positive outlook, lowers your stress and anxiety and to be perfectly honest, makes you a much nicer person to be around. If the window to the world you are looking through is smudged, it is preventing you from seeing all the little miracles around you. Clean your window and take another look. Even when things are not going your way, being grateful can help you cope with those hard times. If someone was to ask me how I was today, I could say... "I am so tired. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, my cat puked on the carpet, I had to wait over 1/2 hour for my grocery order and it is so cold outside." But I choose to be grateful. I am so grateful that I can crawl into my warm bed early tonight and that my dog cleaned up most of the cat puke. I am grateful that I was able to finish off my favourite podcast episode while I waited for my groceries and that the sun is shining and I am snuggled under a warm blanket with a cup of tea by the fire and not outside. Choose to focus your attention on what you appreciate, the big or little things that make you grateful. Notice them, acknowledge them and make them known to yourself and others and I promise you that their effects will be even broader.

Give yourself permission to Pause and Breathe. Life is busy. It is full of stressful situations, negativity and challenges. Bring yourself back to the now and reestablish inner calm by pausing and breathing. In other words, calm your body so you can calm your mind.

-STOP

-Focus your attention on your breath

-Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4

-Hold your breath to the count of 7

-Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8

-Repeat this 3-5 times

Being in tune with yourself is the key to reaching your goal. It all starts with you and your mindset. By doing what makes you happy, conquering your fears, believing in yourself, being grateful and giving yourself permission to stop and breathe, you will put yourself on the course to success.

Thank you for reading The Weekly Seed.

Laura Ballantine

2. Getting Specific with your New Year's Resolution

Welcome back to the "Weekly Seed." Last week we gained some perspective on what your values are by looking at the M and the I of the Mighty Oak. You are much more likely to achieve your goal if it aligns with your values. What did you discover? What is important to you? What are you passionate about? What do you need more of? What areas of your life hit your heart? If you set your goal based off of these questions, you are one step closer to that Mighty Oak. This week we are going to get specific and create a plan to make it happen by looking at the G, H and T.

M - Mindset

I - Identify your goals

G - Get specific

H - Have a vision

T - Time-bound

Y - You

- PAUSE AND BREATHE

O - Own it

A - Be Accountable

K - Know when to celebrate

Get Specific

The goal you set must be specific; this way you can track your progress and know when you have reached that desired outcome. Get out your pen and paper. Based on your values from last week, write down 3 things you'd like to do differently or change. Include as much detail as possible. Answer the What? When? How? Why? Now pick just one to focus on for now. Take a close look at the goal you have chosen. Is this goal something you truly want? Is it important enough to spend the time and effort on? Is it realistic? Does it "hit your heart?" For example, I have set the goal to lose weight. This is a very general goal. If I get specific it looks something like this... What - I want to lose 20 pounds. When - by Canada Day. How - I will watch what I eat and get more active. Why - because I want to be healthy for myself and my family. You will see that within this goal lies steps that I will need to take to reach that end result of losing 20 pounds. Now it's time to create a plan. Get creative with this. Dig out your crayons, cut and paste pictures and break down your goal into smaller steps. Make it personal. Make it fun. Outline each step by answering the whats, whens, hows and whys. This is the one that I created. I preface this with the fact that I am by no means an artist.

Have a Vision

Your vision will bring you back to your values. What does life look like once you've achieved your goal? Close your eyes and visualize it. It is so important to know the whys. When I see myself being 20 pounds lighter I see myself playing tag with my son, walking my dog, wearing that pink sweater that hasn't fit me in years, laying on the beach in a bikini and living life to the fullest. These are the things that will motivate me. Write your goal down and put it in a visible spot. Put a picture on your phone home page that reminds you of that end result you are about to achieve. To see it is to believe it.

Time-bound

A timeline creates a sense of urgency, a commitment, motivating you to stay on schedule and reach the finish line. To succeed you need a good plan that breaks down your goal into understandable tasks all with deadlines to achievement. First set the date/time of when you will celebrate reaching your goal. Now look at all the individual steps or subgoals to get there. Attach a "to be completed by" to each of those steps. Try to stick to the plan you set as closely as possible. To create your timeline use whatever keeps you on that path to success. Whether it is your phone calendar, a written list or something more creative, do what works for you. Make it simple and revisit it regularly.

You have a plan to move forward. Now it is time to take action. Remember that a Mighty Oak did not become "Mighty" overnight. This will take time. With every step you take you will see that little acorn grow and grow. Before you know it will achieve that "Mighty" title.

Thank you for reading The Weekly Seed.

Laura Ballantine