Hope you are enjoying the holidays! As mentioned last week, I thought I’d offer a look back at some Personal Growth Gab fan favorites from 2010:

Girl Power

Polar Shift

Lost?

Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle

Write or Die

Labor Pains

Leap of Faith

It’s been quite a year, so don’t forget to take some time to review all that you’ve accomplished and learned internally and externally throughout the past twelve months, and think about what you’d like to do in the next twelve!

If you’d like some one-on-one guidance and support going forward, I’d love to meet with you next week during my
2011 New Year’s Coaching Kick-off!

Wishing you a Happy Healthy & Prosperous New Year!

Last night we experienced a rare occurrence of the Winter Solstice and a Total Lunar Eclipse overlapping; this means the shortest day of the year combined with the cover-up of a full moon gave us a double dose of darkness. Although there is some debate and lots of myths about what effects these sorts of things have on people, after the year and especially past couple of months we’ve had, my interpretation is that “It’s always darkest before dawn.”

The good news is from now on the days will be getting progressively longer and bright. It’s important at this time of year to get all the literal sunlight in you can – think of the rays as vitamins for your mind, body, spirit and soul, a lack of which can  alter our moods as anyone with SAD will attest.  In addition to the actual light, it’s also a good idea to keep things as ‘light’ as possible – do a little dancing (even if just around the house) or Zumba and laugh a lot.  At the very least you will make others smile when they see you sunbathing in 29 degree weather!

As we approach the end of 2010, it’s also a good time to shed some light on what you’ve accomplished this past year. Many of my clients are in career transition, so it’s easy for it to seem like nothing has happened or if you are just going about your business from day to day, to lose track of what has actually transpired over the past 12 months.

So make sure you take at least a couple of hours with your journal and calendar to jog your memory to see what external things you experienced and accomplished this year, big or small. Then let them help you recall how you have grown and what has changed internally for you as well. What mental, emotional shifts have occurred, in terms of your perceptions of yourself, your life, your work, your relationships, and how has that impacted some of the external actions you took or that happened to you?

Having a little trouble seeing the proof in the pudding of how far you’ve come along? I can be a flood light, offer an objective point of view and a little push for you to see where you’ve been and where you want to go in 2011 and beyond. Just give me a buzz, meet with me during my ‘office hours’ and/or attend my upcoming workshop on January 22nd and I’ll light the way to a more peaceful and prosperous new you!

P.S.This is my last Personal Growth Gab original post of the year – who knew that I would be disciplined enough to write every week (50 out of 52 weeks!) – and that people would actually read them?!  It’s one of my best accomplishments of 2010.  I’ll be off for the holidays but tomorrow you will get an email with upcoming opportunities to start the New Year off on the right foot,  and next week will send you links to some favorite posts based on feedback I’ve received over the past year.

As a career/life coach I have a unique vantage point to observe all types of people and notice certain trends and patterns that emerge. In addition to my clients, there is my circle of friends and family as well as my own personal experience, since I, too, am not immune to it all!

Lately the theme has been that of warrior being challenged in one or more areas of life, confronting unpleasant people or situations, dealing with loss, or relentlessly fighting a seemingly uphill battle at every turn. If you’ve been feeling tested (or testy) in the areas of relationships (all kinds), work (too much or not enough of it), finances (‘nough said), or having a health or identity crisis – essentially, the stuff of life – raise your hand and know that you are not the only one that’s been beaten up these past couple months.

As difficult as it may be, the key is to acknowledge and recognize through all the discomfort/frustration/stress where growth has occurred, understanding has transpired, and wisdom will eventually come. Don’t spend too much time figuring out why things have been going the way they are – instead save your energy for ‘what can I do and learn as a result of what I’ve been through and how can I incorporate these new found strengths moving forward’?

‘Misery loves company’ is a phrase we’ve all heard. It’s not a concept that I would normally promote, but in these times of technological isolation and the era of social media’s “Look at my fabulous life” updates and photos, there is comfort in knowing we’re not the only one struggling and that it’s okay to share the truth of how we’re really doing.

The trick is not to have a pity party but to find community and provide mutual support; to take a collective heavy sigh and deep breath and have a good laugh about it knowing that we’re all in a similar boat and do what we can to make things better.  At end of the day, we are human and can offer one another a hug and a smile to get us through the hard times, which are always temporary.

But if you want to dig a little deeper and sort out the who, what, why, when, where and how of what’s been going on, give me a buzz and I’ll help you see the lesson in the lickin’ and the light at the end of the tunnel.

This time of year with its emphasis on excessive merry-making and gift-giving combined with cold weather, shorter days and a challenging economy (with a Mercury retrograde thrown in this year, too!) would cause even the jolliest of Santas to pack their sack and head back to the North Pole to hibernate just like their grizzly neighbors so wisely do.

All our focus is on parties and socializing, yet our natural tendency is to go inward for the winter; we are pulled to do all of these external things in a very short amount of time when we should be winding down and checking in with ourselves and preparing for the new year to come…and therefore find ourselves off balance in a big way.  It’s no wonder anxiety and stress levels are skyrocketing and everyone is just doing their best not to crack under the pressure of the ho ho ho!

So how to make it through the holidaze in tact?  We need to be extra-mindful, stay centered and connected to ourselves and not go to extremes or make any major decisions. Have an extra dose of patience with yourself and others, take deep breaths, laugh it off, do lots of yoga, tai-chi and meditation, use Rescue Remedy, have a massage,  make soup, get some fresh air, spend quality time with good friends, cuddle with your loved ones, and most of all be kind and gentle to yourself.

Another idea is to give yourself the gift of having a session with someone who can offer an unbiased positive perspective with adjustments and solutions that will put you back on track and in balance wherever you need it.  I’d love to be able to help and get whatever is going on in your head out of it so that you can enjoy a truly peaceful and joyous  holiday season!