Articles — Goal Setting(11)

When I was young our family used to love to go to Katepwa Lake for holidays. My uncle had a beautiful boat with a sixty-horsepower motor and all my cousins enjoyed water skiing behind it. The problem was that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to get up out of the water! I remember the morning of my nineth birthday. The sun was shining, and the water was as smooth as glass. First thing I asked my uncle if I could try once again to ski. He agreed. After carefully tying on the life jacket, I got...

I have a client who faithfully goes to the gym three times a week. He told me that he is surprised at the lack of focus of others who are "working out" at the same time. Some of them are so busy looking at their phones that their speed is significantly reduced. Others may doddle or use some of their time visiting so they don't use their time wisely. My client wants to ensure that his workouts are effective for him and has therefore developed a strategy for boosting his productivity. He deliberately wears a sweatshirt with a large hood...

Five years ago, my youngest son, Mark, was managing a large trucking company in Saskatoon. The work was demanding. He didn't think he was in a career. Because of his obvious passion for helping people his friends told him that he should be a mediator. Mark called me to discuss his options and I recommended that he enter a profession where he could be licensed. Mediators do not have a regulatory body and licensing is therefore not possible. After several months of thought, Mark decided he wanted to follow in my footsteps and become a Registered Psychologist. I didn't want...

January is a time when many individuals set goals and decide to make changes that will improve their lives. Unfortunately, by February their plans are often abandoned long before success is reached. The result can be disappointment mixed with self- disgust. It doesn't have to be that way though. By following a few simple steps, your resolutions will be realized: 1. Don't say it unless you mean it - Most people would say that they want to be wealthy, thin, lovable and healthy but not all of them are willing to do what it takes! If you aren't prepared to...

We are several weeks into the new year and I am wondering how you are doing with your resolutions... Hopefully you have written down the goals and are working towards them already. Sometimes, however, we procrastinate or fail to get started because we don't have a realistic plan. Keep it simple so you don't feel overwhelmed. Here are a few tips to help you move forward. Daily Living Tasks If you don't make a mess, you won't make to spend a lot of time cleaning up. Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. Make your appliances...

When I ask this question, I get a very wide range of responses. Some people quickly state "A couple of minutes". Others, who obviously do not have a lot of experience with cleaning toilets, stare in silence. My response is "It depends on when you start and on how many interruptions you have". You see, there are many, many things in life that can be done fairly quickly if you just get started and not allow things to interrupt you during the process - like paying bills, taking the garbage out or organizing a closet. Once these things are done,...

I was recently contracted by Celebrity Cruise lines to serve as a speaker on their newly launched Silhouette ship destined for the Caribbean. Little did I know that the journey would require five flights and a number of delays just to get to Port Liberty in order to sail. My first airplane ride took me to Calgary where I had been booked by US and Canada Customs for an interview to secure a NEXUS card. I had figured that having this would streamline the security process for me. What I didn't know was that you can't actually use the system,...

At the start of the new year, people often make decisions to get rid of old habits and implement positive change into their lives. Sometimes they might attempt to quit smoking, lose weight or even try spending less in order to save more than they did in the past. Gym membership sales soar and the registrations for health-based programs usually increase significantly at the beginning of January. Unfortunately, by February you usually don't have to fight the crowds for exercise equipment and you can pretty well pick which group you would like to enroll in as the dropout rates are...

So often I hear people talk about what they wished they had done in the past or what they might do in the future. They might state that they want to travel "someday" or focus all their energy on the day when they will retire. They might state that they want to visit a favourite relative, or get training in order to change careers - "someday". As soon as I hear these things I ask "What's holding you back?" You see, there are thousands of airplanes that fly every day to beautiful vacation destinations. Retirement is years away and is...

It's a new year and everywhere we turn there are articles and conversation about resolutions. A resolution is a promise that you make to yourself. Usually the promise involves deliberate changes that will improve your situation over the ensuring year. Some individuals focus on improving their health with exercise and eating of nutritious foods. Others might determine to spend less, save more or develop a financial plan for the future. Many state that they will travel, quit drinking or smoking, spend more time with friends and family or perhaps become more organized. The sad part about resolutions is that frequently...

So often I deal with individuals who are hurt, upset or disappointed about something that has or hasn't happened as expected.  A failed relationship, financial loss or wayward child can rock one’s world!  When we are disappointed, it is usually because we had expectations that were not met.  Sometimes we risk our happiness on one or more situations that are totally out of our control.  Perhaps we think that if someone else will change their behaviours, we will be happy.  Or if we pass that exam.  Or if we won the lottery!  Well, life doesn't work that way.  People change their behaviours...