What if you're Easily Addicted?

You don’t have to abuse drugs or have a gambling habit to struggle with addiction.  Have you ever been so involved in a book or video game that you completely shut out the world around you? Have you ever spent an entire day obsessed about what you were going to eat after work? Have you ever been talking about one topic so passionately that your listeners’ eyes glaze over? Have you ever had family or friends tell you that (fill in the blank) seems to be all you care about?

Some people, due to environmental factors or brain chemical imbalances, tend to be more prone to exaggerate everyday behaviors and turn them into something unhealthy.  What do you do if you know you’re vulnerable to these behaviors?

1. Stay away from the dangerous stuff.  If you know you’re prone to excess, avoid alcohol, drugs, even cigarettes.  Combining addictive substances with addictive personality is a sure recipe for disaster.
2. Have an accountability partner.  Whether it’s a spouse, sibling, or best friend, have someone in your life who can tell you the truth about your behavior when it gets out of hand.
3. Indulge, but set limits. If you know Oreos are your weakness, you can still eat them, just take a serving and put the package away (or have someone hide it).  This is easier when you’re not alone.
4. Or stay completely away. If an activity doesn’t contribute to your well-being, and takes you away from your friends and family, you may have to avoid it and all environments where it is available, when feasible.
5. Set goals. If you have a direction for your life, and are committed to the steps it takes to get there, it’s harder for an addiction to become primary in your life.  Addiction tends to fill a void, so fill your life with good things first.
6. Consider working with a life coach to guide you and help hold you accountable for goals while steering you clear of behaviors you want to change.

Having an addictive personality means you may be able to focus completely on a project in a way others cannot.  Take these steps above to keep it healthy.

Goals for 2021

Where do you want to be in 10 years?  If that question causes you to shrug or get anxious, you might need a coach.

Everyone has dreams.  Everyone has interests and passions they would like to dedicate more time to pursuing.  Few people would say, “I like myself, my job and my relationships just as they are.  I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The problem most people have in achieving their dreams is that they lack the knowledge, skills, perseverance, or confidence to move forward in setting new goals and meeting them.  I say “most” people because some dreams may be unreachable due to a lack of talent or resources- such as a dream to perform on Broadway, play in the NBA, or own a castle in Scotland.  However, many dreams that seem unreachable may simply require uncharacteristic determination to realize. 

A life coach, mentor, accountability partner, or friend can offer encouragement, support, and resources when you have a goal or dream that you want to accomplish.  In fact, your chances of success are greatly increased when you have a support system:  people who believe in you and want to contribute to your goals. 

“Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy,” says Nicholas Sparks.  If you want to get out of your box and off the life treadmill, you have to be willing to make sacrifices.  You may need to get up early to go to the gym or cut out television so you can study for a degree.  You may have to take a hard look at ways you have been sabotaging your own success.  You may have to invest your own resources into people and programs that will build you and your skills. 

If you are already working toward a goal, keep up your motivation by remembering what truly matters to you and why you want to achieve it.  The following poem is always an encouragement:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.  (Author unknown)

        

Why Do I Need a Coach?

Life coaching can help you in many ways:

• Do you know what's important to you?
• Do you know what's really important to you?  
• Do you have trouble staying focused?
• Do you want help attracting more of what you want?
• Are you interested in discovering what holds you back?
• Do you need help clarifying your values and vision?
• Do you need help creating goals and action plans?
• Are you the type of person who likes to be held accountable?

Life coaching is the practice of assisting clients determine and achieve personal goals - whether it's making changes to improve health, career, relationships or your physical environment.

Let a life coach help you take that first step today.  (Hint:  Ask me!)