Are you thriving…or just surviving?

Hello lovelies!

Happy February! I know… February already.

I spent some time this morning reviewing my plans for 2015 using the brilliant Shining Biz and Life Workbook from Leonie Dawson. Part of this process is to choose a word for the year. A word that resonates and sums up all that you want from the year ahead.

Want to know what mine is?

THRIVE.

Defined as “to do well; prosper; to grow strongly and vigorously”.

Well, I have to say, for the last couple of years there hasn’t been much in the way of prospering or growing here (vigorously or otherwise). Plenty of existing and plain old surviving in a hanging-on-by-your-fingernails kind of way but thriving? Not so much.

You can read why here.

This year, however, is going to be very different.

It’s going to be different because of some decisions I made in 2014. It’s going to be different because I spent time looking inward to work out what I needed to do to make it so. It’s going to be different because I refuse to accept the status quo.

In 2014 we moved house. This was a huge decision for me as it meant selling my biggest asset and becoming a tenant for the first time in 20 years. Our old house was on a busy, noisy road, I had no dedicated working space and it harboured an awful lot of negative energy which was clouding my every thought.

In the UK, owning property is seen as A Big Deal and something that validates you as a person. Be that as it may, I had come to the realisation that my property ownership was having a greater negative effect on my life than a positive one. That house almost made me feel trapped, with no space or energy to spread my wings.

Our new home couldn’t be more different. A new build rather than quirky Victorian. A quiet position rather than constant traffic. Spacious and airy rather than cluttered and confined.

And I finally have a study. A small space where I can shut myself away from the rest of the world and write and think to my heart’s content.

The change in my home environment has given me a new lease of life. I am sowing the seeds of possibility and watering them every day. Roots are starting to push down into the earth creating what I hope is a strong foundation for new shoots and vibrant growth.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because I was a person who didn’t dare to believe that things could be different. Although I was well read on the subject of taking control of your life and designing it the way you want it to be my reality was rather different.

One of Tony Robbins’ greatest pieces of advice is that you have to turn your “shoulds” into “musts”.

If you’re anything like me you probably have a list of things you “should” do as long as your arm!

Pick one thing on your list.

Why is this a “should” and not a “must”? What would it take to change it to the next level?

For me, “I really should look into the idea of selling my house” became “If I don’t do something drastic (like selling my house) this just-about-surviving phase of my life is going to go on for a very long time and I am more scared of THAT happening than I am of doing something drastic!”

Take 10 minutes today to really think about one thing on your Should Do list. What would be the worst possible result of it remaining as a Should Do? Think about how this would affect your life. Is this enough to turn it into a Must Do?

It was for me.

(Previously published on alittlebitofpeaceandquiet.com Feb 2, 2015.)