Feel energised, be inspired, get motivated

Last January I shared my 10 top tips for achieving goals and resolutions and I'm sure many of you will be setting personal resolutions and business goals to achieve over the next year. Although January is a great time to take stock and make changes in your life, it can often be hard to actually take action. With the cold, dark winter days it's often difficult to feel motivated and inspired. There might also be other reasons affecting the way you approach your goals. So this month we look at tips to get you energised, inspired, motivated and in the mood for making those all important changes in your life.

· Meditation - Try some simple meditation techniques in the morning to help get you focused for the day or at the end of the day to wind down and chill out. You only need to set aside say 10-15 mins, so hopefully even achievable by busy mums!

· Use your day effectively - Are you a morning person or are you more effective in the afternoon or evening? Choose your timing accordingly. For example, if you get home from work and don't feel like leaving the house again to go to the gym, consider going on your way to work, during your lunchtime or on your way home from work instead. If you're running your own business, you might schedule in some "thinking time" into your day, when you feel most refreshed. Or fit certain tasks around your baby, for example when they are taking a nap and perhaps you are able to relax a bit more.

2. Be inspired

We all feel inspired by different things and situations. So think about the times you felt inspired. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

· Your achievements - If you're finding it hard to feel inspired about setting your goals, consider your past achievements and the difference they made to your life. Get a piece of paper and pen and spend 5-10 minutes making a list of all the things you have achieved (large and small). You'll be amazed at how many you come up with. If you get stuck, split it down into chunks (e.g. school, work, hobbies, family life etc). Consider how they made you feel and how you might want to re-create that feeling again.

· People - do you feel inspired by a particular person e.g. friend, teacher, parent, author? What is it about them that inspires you? How could you re-create that for yourself?

· Music, books, films, paintings, photos, poems - do you feel inspired when you listen to a particular piece of music or see a painting / photograph? Perhaps a book or poem you read or a film / play you saw? If you want to feel inspired, listen to that piece of music or read the poem again.

· Places that inspire you - perhaps you feel inspired by a particular place? Perhaps the place makes you feel calm and at peace. So whether it's a favourite beach, museum, local park or pavement cafe, find your favourite "space". Then make a point of visiting the places that inspire you every so often.

3. Get motivated

· De-clutter - sometimes certain things in our lives stop us from moving forward, so review all areas of your life, de-clutter and tie up loose ends to enable you to move forward.

· Start with a small goal - focus on one small goal to achieve over a short period of time. It's easier to feel and stay more motivated, when you've already achieved something.

· Change one thing - sometimes we try to change so many things at once, we end up making life more difficult for ourselves. So choose one thing you feel really excited and passionate about and focus on it. Questions to ask yourself:

"If I could change one thing in my life, what would it be?"

"What do I really, really want?"

"What would make the biggest difference to my life?"

Then focus on achieving the one thing that will really make a difference to your life.

· Quantify the benefit - if you achieved a particular goal, consider what it would mean to you, how would you benefit? Ask yourself "What difference would it make to my life?" Focusing on the benefit can give you that all important push forward.

· Have fun, do something you enjoy and makes you happy - for example, if you want to improve your health and fitness but going to the gym totally puts you off, find an activity or hobby you will enjoy. That way you focus on enjoying yourself rather than on doing something that feels like a chore.

· Seize the moment - sometimes we feel like trying something new but if we don't take action, the moment passes and life continues as before. So next time you fancy learning to ski or taking up creative writing, take action and that first step towards making it a reality.

· Get support / share an interest - do you feel like taking up a new hobby or interest but finding it hard to pluck up the courage to go on your own? Why not try out a new hobby with a friend? Whether it's learning a new language or going to a salsa class, sharing an interest with a friend or partner can make it more fun. You'll also find that you don't want to let them down, so you'll feel more motivated about going on a regular basis.

To find out more about dealing with changes in your life and for help in creating a life that you love, visit www.horizonsregained.com