The fall season has begun, and with its arrival comes an almost palpable sense of opportunity and potential for growth and transformation. We hope that this will be THE YEAR when we are more organized,  more successful, more healthy...!! Perhaps this will also be THE YEAR when we become better leaders, better preachers, better parents, better housekeepers, better students...!!

 

That internal sense of new beginnings can be energizing and inspiring. That stirring in our hearts and souls can be a powerful fuel that moves us forward on the journey toward a more meaningful and authentic life. But until that deep yearning is paired with an actual, specific strategy, no change is likely to happen.

 

Strategies for change do not need to be detailed or complicated. But, they do need to be intentional. And, they tend to be most effective when they focus on small shifts in our daily activity that can become new habits. For example: Becoming more organized can begin with taking two minutes at the end of each day to sort through mail and papers that need to be dropped in the recycling bin.  Becoming healthier can begin with parking the car further from the door so a few more steps are taken to and from the office. Becoming a better leader can begin with spending 5 minutes at the start of each meeting to engage participants in discussing what they hope to accomplish by the end of the meeting. Naturally, your strategy for a new begining needs to be tailored to your unique situation. But, be sure to develop a simple, doable plan that you can begin easily. And remember: the biggest mistake is to hope for change without changing anything!