Creating YOUR Future Nostalgia
By Victoria Cook , The Guilt-Free Coach

Today, 67% of women with children under the age of 18 are employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Results from my own survey show that women find trying to be “Super Mom” is not so super – leaving them depleted, resentful, stressed, and feeling guilty. If you’re a working parent reading this, I’m sure I don’t have to tell YOU that!

As working parents, we want to get it all done AND feel good about it. Don’t you wish that your future self could tell you what you can do so that you can stop trying to be “Super Mom” and live without regrets? Here is an opportunity to learn from someone with a lifetime of experience. We can all learn something from her insight. The late Erma Bombeck wrote this after she found out she had cancer:

If I Had My Life To Live Over
by Erma Bombeck

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love yous".. More "I'm sorrys" ...

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

At the heart of this is what EVERY mother (or father) wants for themselves and family. Too often people wait until the opportunities are gone before learning these things.

Instead of waiting, the beginning of 2008 is a great time to use forward thinking to create the memories (or future nostalgia) you desire for yourself, your family, and business. What will you miss when it’s gone? Will you miss the time you didn’t spend or things you didn’t do with your children, family and self? Where do you want to take your business this year? On December 31, 2008 what do you want to remember most about this year?

Wasted time can only bring regret, sorrow and guilt. Procrastination is a thief of time and livelihood. Tomorrow is a mystery but you have the opportunity to create your future nostalgia NOW. If you wait around for good things to happen, you will always be waiting. Your life and future is at your fingertips. Believe it and live it.

As Erma realized and expressed, there’s no point trying to be “Super Mom” at the expense of really living your life.

Once you have your clear vision, it’s going to take some ACTION to get there. Here’s how to create your “Future Nostalgia” TODAY!

Get into ACTION:
Take a look at your vision and take the time to break it down into smaller steps. These steps can be Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly goals or milestones. Markers along the way of your journey to help gauge your progress, assess your strategies, and make any adjustments to your plans.

Strengthen Your Habits:
It’s important to develop some strong daily habits for success. What are those things you need to be doing EACH DAY to move you towards your goals? Is it calling 5 new prospects, reading some inspirational quotes to maintain your motivation, planning your day, tracking the previous day’s progress, or sending 3 personal notes to current clients? Remember what Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Maintain Your Momentum:
Once you get into action, maintaining that action and taking more small steps towards your goal will fuel your enthusiasm and create momentum. Here’s a 3-Step Recipe for maintaining your momentum:

1: REVIEW YOUR PLANS
The best way to maintain momentum is to regularly review your plans. You won’t know how you’re doing if you’re not reviewing plans and gauging your success.

It’s not about making yourself feel bad or guilty for not hitting the mark, but to see what’s working, what’s not, and what needs altering. Make your plan reviews FUN and rewarding. I’ve had clients who schedule a “Starbucks Meeting” with themselves each week to have their favorite hot beverage while reviewing their plan and scheduling their week. I personally like to do my plan reviews during a pedicure! What would make it fun and inviting for you?

2: CELEBRATE SUCCESSES
Celebrate each success and mile marker along the way…regardless of how small! That will help to feed your energy, increase excitement, and keep the momentum rolling! It doesn’t have to be anything huge or even expensive. The key is to acknowledge yourself for what you have completed and give yourself a treat or pat on the back. We’re often our own worst critics and the first to kick ourselves in the pants when we aren’t producing, so be fair and reward yourself too!

3: BE ACCOUNTABLE
The real secret to success is accountability! You’re likely a person of your word, except when committing to yourself. It’s easy to let yourself off the hook or say, “I’ll get that done tomorrow or next week”. That’s where an accountability partner can be there to point out where you might be giving up on yourself, brainstorm ways around whatever obstacle is keeping you down, and encourage you to persevere.

The American Society for Training & Development’s research shows that being accountable to someone else AND having an “accountability appointment” with that person increases your odds of success to 95%. Good accountability sources can include a mentor, a peer group, trusted friend who believes in you, or a Mastermind group. I may be biased, but I believe the ultimate accountability partner is a COACH! CLICK HERE to see for yourself how clients have specifically benefited from working with ME as their Coach and helping keep THEM accountable.

Invest some time, planning, action and accountability in yourself and your family to create your “Future Nostalgia” today and you won’t have the regrets and guilt tomorrow! Your worth it!

About the Author
Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach, helps ambitious working Moms create more time and focus to accomplish their goals, grow their business, and live guilt-free! Get free resources for increasing YOUR time and reducing stress at http://www.theguiltfreecoach.com/gift.

Creating YOUR Future Nostalgia © 2005 - 2008 Victoria Cook. All rights reserved.

Top