Happy 2021!
How are you doing with New Year’s Resolutions or with your word for the year? Having difficulty? Perhaps you should focus on finding your purpose instead…
Having a sense of purpose in life is associated with a range of qualities, including being more successful and living a happier life. In fact, research published in the JAMA Network Open finds that having a strong sense of purpose in life leads to improvements in both physical and mental health, and it enhances one’s overall quality of life. If there’s one goal people set for the new year, it’s a good idea to make it finding their purpose.
“There are so many great benefits of finding and living your life’s purpose,” explains Katie Sandler, personal development and career coach. “The problem is that many people are not quite sure how to do that. They feel lost in trying to discover what their purpose is. All of that can change this year.”
This year, we are recommending that you make it your top goal to discover what your purpose is and to live with purpose. Once you do that, you will not only have the health benefits that come, but you will succeed in living the life you want. Your overall life satisfaction and happiness level will increase as well. Having a sense of purpose helps people to live with intention and clarity, because they know what they want and how to get it.
Finding one’s life purpose isn’t something that most people do overnight. It’s a process of self-exploration that takes time and patience. The key is to create a long-term plan for your life that will help you to more fully enjoy each day. Here are some tips to help you do just that:
- Get to know yourself. To do this, you have to do some exploration and ask some questions.
- What is it that you like?
- What makes you happy?
- What do you not like?
- Narrow down those things that you feel passionate about.
- Work with someone. Many people turn to others for help in order to discover their purpose. You can do this by asking other people what their thoughts are on what your gifts are for the worldand what your strengths are. You can also do this by working with a life coach, who can help you tap into your purpose and show you how to harness the power of it
- Become more mindful. Being mindful is a great way to help live life with awareness and self-awareness. It’s also a key component to helping you achieve goals. And ultimately, it enables you to enjoy life and all that it has to offer.
- Make the commitment. Rather than just saying this will be the year of finding and living your purpose, really commit to it. Ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how important is it for you to find your purpose? If it’s below a six, don’t bother. But if it’s above a six, create a plan of action in order to find it – be it working with a coach, finding a self-help book – make sure you follow through.
- Be patient. Transformation such as this doesn’t happen overnight; it’s going to take time. Be gentle with yourself, go with the flow, and keep yourself on track. Little efforts here and there will add up along the way to big results. Believe in yourself.
By Brigitte Tohm
Ways to Achieve a Positive Mindset and How it Will Help You Succeed
Make the best choices and decisions for themselves, their jobs, and those around them. Learning to practice having a positive mindset also fosters a strong relationship with yourself and others as it relies on engaging in and maturing your internal dialogue. It helps in building resilience, creating a positive and optimistic attitude and ultimately leads to greater success and well-being. The good news is that there are things people can do to have a more positive mindset.
“There are so many benefits of cultivating a positive mindset,” explains Sandler, “The goal is to learn how to do it and then continue practicing it until utilizing a positive mindset becomes a way of life. It can be done, and when it is, you will be far more successful and content as a result.”
A positive mindset is a mental and emotional attitude – it’s about making the choice to think positively. If we think positively then typically beneficial behaviors and actions follow. Sandler has helped many people to shift their mindset and use the power of it to achieve goals and become more successful in multiple areas of their life. Some of the ways she has helped her clients to achieve a positive mindset include:
By Janet Rice
- Practice mindfulness. When you are living in the moment and are aware of what is going on in the present moment with a kind and open attitude, you are being mindful. Many people worry about the past or the future, which tends to lead to symptoms of stress, depression or anxiety. But, when you attune to the here and now without judgement, you are better able to remain positive and achieve your goals. As your mind wanders, which it’s trained to do, simply acknowledge it and gently bring it back to the present moment by focusing on your breath.
- Have an attitude of gratitude. Being grateful means noticing even the small things in your life that you appreciate. It’s a way to savor the moment, be positive and look for the possibilities in whatever life throws your way. When you do this on a regular basis, it helps to flex your mindset muscles – train yourself to be grateful and express gratitude and notice the good things that happen all around you.
- Keep it real. Life is not easy or peachy keen. As a matter of fact, it is actually more difficult than it is easy, but no one wants to admit this. So let’s face the facts – we have to work at having a positive mindset, period, and anything worth having doesn’t come easy because life is hard.
- Engage your internal dialogue. You know that voice you hear in your head? Well you’re not alone, because we all have an inner voice we hear. The thing is, a lot of people don’t realize that you can in fact engage with that part of yourself, and with a loving and kind attitude, you can work with yourself to mature your mindset.
- Commit to it and keep practicing. People tend to think that knowing what to do is half the battle, but that’s not true. If you don’t put it into practice then it doesn’t do you much good to know it. You have to learn new habits and ways of being, implement them, test them out, and continually work at getting better at them.
- Define what success means to you. At the end of the day, how we define success varies for us all, but this definition is for sure: To achieve well-being, a state of fulfillment and contentment, and a positive mindset is the type of success we should all hope for – the type of success we all need and deserve.
“One of the most important things you can do in life is to shift your mindset so that you can truly enjoy the life you’re living,” added Sandler. “It will be beneficial in nearly all areas of your life, helping you to become healthier, happier, and more successful. Make this the year that you put positivity front and center.”
A positive mindset can help people experience greater levels of happiness, and being happier helps people to become more positive – it’s a cycle. In an issue of the journal called Canadian Family Physician, a doctor wrote what he called a prescription for happiness. The three things he prescribed to help people be happier are spending time outdoors in a natural environment daily, starting every morning by thinking of three things to be grateful for, and surrounding yourself with supportive people.
Sandler has provided professional support to many people to help them achieve their personal and professional goals. She routinely works with people to help them identify areas to focus on, paths for personal achievement, how to reach their life goals, and more. She also works with companies providing impact trainings and workshops, developing and promoting purposeful and inclusive organizational cultures. Through her efforts, companies have been able to reduce absenteeism rates, motivate their team, reduce stress levels, engage their employees, and create a workplace in which to thrive.
Photo by Priscilla De Perez
About Katie Sandler
“I’ve helped many people find their purpose and live their true life,” added Sandler. “It’s amazing what it can do for people in terms of success, happiness, and overall quality of life. There’s just no other substitute, so make this the year that it happens.”
Through her personal development and career coaching services, Sandler has helped people in many different ways.
Sandler offers impact retreats, corporate impact events, and one-on-one coaching services. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health counseling, has a strong foundation in mindfulness-based stress reduction, and has worked in hospitals and private practices. She has also spent time as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins. Upcoming retreats include Reignite in Tulum, Mindfulness in Mykonos, Rewire and Renew in The French Alps, and Mindfulness & Mindset in The Hamptons.
Katie Sandler is a popular impact and private wellness coach. To learn more about Katie or her services, visit the site: https://katiesandler.com/.
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Coming up, an in-depth look at the fabulous and affordable Guru Nanda’s essential oil diffuser and plus a book review on one of my very favorite new releases: The Courage Map, and we’ll show you a better way to shave your legs and other unwanted body hair as we introduce the Aveline Razor. Package.
See you next week!
Blessings,
Connie
xox