Appreciate those moments during day when you have no choice but to be silent and patient. Waiting for your email to download? Standing in line at checkout? Riding in an elevator? Fill lull with observations. Look around. Notice scents. Pay attention to lighting. Listen. Think of these pauses as opportunities to sharpen your senses. Enjoy a Da Vinci moment.

#3 Define Your Life Philosophy. Quite frankly, I don't understand how this one gets so neglected in our culture. We do a whole lot of talking about being authentic, honoring our individuality, and finding our true passion. Well, how can anyone be true to themselves if they haven't taken time to figure out who they are? If you don't know your values and beliefs, you're never going to get to where you think you ought to be.

A defined life philosophy serves as a road map. It gives you landmarks to recognize, navigation tools to guide you, and a clear destination. Just like greatest road trips, you may end up going in a completely new direction that's nowhere on that original map. That's okay. But knowing your starting point is most crucial part of any journey.

Fate, birth, death, love, freedom, responsibility, morality, faith, destiny--these are concepts we need to explore in order to develop and define our own unique life philosophy. Thinking about these ideas is coolest thing we can do. We feel alive and connected whenever we dig deep into Real Stuff.

Don't shy away from delving deeply. It's only way to develop as a thinker and as a human.

Take these three secrets--interrupting yourself, appreciating lulls, and defining your life philosophy--and run with them. Pick one as a New Year's resolution and commit yourself to mastering it.

Vow to become a better thinker in 2004. It may be your most meaningful--and enjoyable--resolution ever!

Let’s play with examples. What might be a disempowering belief behind my exercise example? What thoughts or stories might be transparently shaping your inability to stick to an exercise program?

I can’t follow through anything Exercise is hard and I hate it There’s not enough time

Once limiting thought is revealed, now what?

3. Build a positive case for yourself

After revealing belief, it's important that you find out what's true about you and your life. You need to inquire to discover if your beliefs are real obstacles or if they’re just a product of old thought patterns. Go back to exercise example. “I don’t follow through on anything.” Is that true? Can you find examples of where you have followed through on something? If so, make a list that disqualifies this particular belief. This process will help you build a more positive case for your own success, and when you notice yourself slipping into old thought pattern, you can shift to what's true something more true and much more positive. It’s really a matter of building new thinking habits and practicing them.

When you get to truth, you feel better. In example, all energy tied up in resisting exercise can now go into exercising.

4. Make a plan and take action

Here’s where rubber meets road. All inspiration and awareness will only go so far. Who hasn’t had experience where you get inspired about something and go off to accomplish it only to lose steam and give up on your dream or project?

That’s where having a solid plan comes in, an action plan. Write out steps of your plan. Be specific.

An important part of designing a successful action plan is building an accountability structure. When you’re accountable to specifics or someone else you have a better chance of following through with what you say you want.

This brings us to last step.

5. Create a circle of support

We all need support. Often difference between getting successful results and not, depends on how well supported you are.

I was just working with a client who wanted to introduce a new routine into her life. She questioned her ability to stick to it. When I asked her what in past helped her stay on track with something new she said, “Telling someone my plan made me more accountable. By speaking my intention out loud made it harder to just blow it off”. Then I asked her whom she would tell about her new plan. She decided to tell her husband and use him for her accountability. You could take it a step further and ask person to periodically check in with you how you are doing with your commitment. Now, that’s support.

A circle of support can mean a lot of different things. It can be your partner, your best friend, colleagues at work, or your family. Meaningful support can be any or all of these people, more support you have better. The only critical distinction is that you are supported for YOUR agenda, not supporters.

Establishing and calling on your "circle of support" will help you sustain yourself through all of life through challenging times and through great times.

Why not give this strategy a try. Begin to thrive in your life. I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback and successes. Email me at mailto:helaine@pathofpurpose.com

It’s YOUR life…imagine possibilities!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Helaine Iris is a certified Life Coach, writer and teacher that loves her life. For a solution focused complimentary session visit her website http://www.pathofpurpose.com or call her 603-357-8546 or email her helaine@pathofpurpose.com