Where Are You Going?

Ah, fall is in the air! It's back to work and school. For lots of people September is a time for new beginnings, for recommitment to routines and schedules. It's a time when we reluctantly leave behind a slower pace and re-position our noses on the preverbal grindstone, yet again. For many, September is a month ripe with an unspoken challenge to step up your game.Many of my clients are expressing the desire to be more real, relevant and more ready for change. They're rumbling about achieving bigger numbers, securing promotions and finding balance, with an intensity that wasn't there in June.

So, what will the next few months mean for you? Whether your dreams are about getting fit, finishing a degree or climbing Kilimanjaro - the question is - how will you make that happen?

Bob Buford, author of, From Success to Significance suggests three ways to plunge ahead with passion and purpose.

First - Get Clear. "Gain clarity about your perspectives, your attitudes, your 'calling', the results that you most want in your life." I would add, get real. Get truthful with yourself. Do your goals match your core beliefs? Do they fit with who you really are? If they don't - they may be great goals for someone else, just not for you. Bob would ask, 'what do you need to get clear? If it were a few years from now and you were living the perfect life, how would you know?" Great clarity questions.

Second - Get Free. "Identify and free your mind and heart of unrealistic expectations, untrue assumptions, unfounded fears and needless financial pressure. " Not easy, especially if you're struggling with limiting beliefs, paralyzing fears or financial burdens that have stopped you in the past. I would add, get relevant. Relevance comes by challenging those habits, practices or people that hold you back and choosing to keep only those that fit now. It's not disrespectful to eliminate people or beliefs that aren't supportive of your loftier goals - it's smart. I would ask, "What will you need to leave behind to move ahead?"

Third - Get Going. There's simply no substitute for action! Bob instructs us to, "Begin simply by talking with those you love, researching what others are doing in the area you are interested in, trying some small projects, preparing for transition and praying for direction." Or, in other words - get ready for change. Ease into it, but get moving - today! For most would-be changers, the feel the fear and do it anyway motto works best. Don't wait till you're 'ready' for the difficult stuff - start now. Sneak up on your resistance and start racking up some early wins to keep you motivated.

Oh, and if you're leading a group towards an audacious goal, how will you help them through this process?

Give it some thought, because September is one of those fresh, exciting months that sends a lot of folks into their boss's office just bursting with great ideas.

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