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Articles for Moms is written by Lori Radun, , Certified Life Coach and founder of True To You Life Coaching
To learn more click HERE
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Personal Development
September 2006 – Changing Seasons – New Beginnings
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 Sitting down
together as a family for dinner every night, although it may seem
small and insignificant, is actually highly beneficial for children
in many ways.
Studies have
shown that children and teens who eat dinner with their families
on a regular basis are less likely to drink, smoke, use illegal
drugs, have sex at young ages, and they are at a lower risk for
thoughts of suicide.
When you fix
regular family meals, you have more influence on how healthy and
balanced your children's meals are.
Family dinners
give families a chance to bond with one another - it opens the
door to communication.
Our family
often plays a game to encourage conversation during family dinners.
Each person communicates the best thing and the worst thing that
happened to them during their day. This keeps us in touch with
one another. No matter how busy we are, we always make a point
to have dinner together. If you're not already doing it, bring
back the tradition of families eating together. |
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 If your family
is anything like ours, you're deciding at the last minute what
you'll eat for dinner. You stand at the freezer and stare at the
contents every night, only to fix the same old boring meals night
after night. Unless you're a great cook and an excellent planner,
I think you'll find Dine Without Whine to be a wonderful
dinner menu planner for your family.
Dine Without
Whine weekly dinner menus, recipes and grocery lists are emailed
to your inbox. What's really amazing is the cost - only
$4.95 per month. Click on the picture to find out more
information about this awesome time saver. It's a perfect way
to introduce some new meal ideas to your family. |
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 With each changing
season, it’s a time to reflect on the past and make plans for
the future. The seasons of the year can be compared to various
cycles of our life. When I think of spring, it reminds me of new
growth, opening up, and coming out into the world. Summer is time
for sunshine and playtime – many of us vacation and enjoy fun
activities. Fall marks change and preparation for the colder months.
As winter approaches, our focus shifts to warmth and indoor pastimes
like blazing fires, board games and snuggling.
Not every corner
of the world enjoys the dramatic shifts in the seasons, but we
can all use the changing seasons as a way to purge the old and
start fresh. Use this six step process at the end of each season
and transform yourself and your life in new and exciting ways.
1. Clear
Out the Old
Old what? Get
rid of old clothes you and other family members no longer wear.
Throw out or donate old items you do not use. Clearing out the
old involves a process of decluttering every aspect of your life.
Not only should you declutter your environments, but also your
relationships and yourself as well. What old patterns or beliefs
no longer serve you? What old behaviors or habits interfere with
your goals in life? It’s time to cast them out of your life. What
relationships in your life are you struggling with? Maybe there
are old arguments that need to be put to rest, or old feelings
that need to be resolved. By purging the old, you make room for
new growth to take place.
2. Take
Time to Rejuvenate
End and begin
each new season with a getaway that refreshes you physically,
emotionally and spiritually. Take a long weekend by yourself or
with a special person that fills you up. Do things you don’t normally
do for yourself. I recently spent a three day weekend with my
mom – just the two of us. We shopped, talked over tea, and watched
movies. One day we stopped for a manicure and luxurious pedicure.
For me, it was like heaven to sit in a huge massage chair with
my feet dipped in warm, bubbly water. Taking time to rejuvenate
gives you energy and a fresh outlook on life.
3. Reorganize
Your Life
Organization
does wonders for your life. It simplifies, energizes and generally
makes life run smoother. Take a look around your home. What needs
better organization? Cabinets, drawers and closets are usually
an excellent place to start. I recently reorganized my office.
I rearranged the furniture, added more storage, updated my filing
system and hung new pictures on the walls. For me, it helps me
gear up for a busy speaking season and clears my mind to create
new ideas. Reorganization can also involve creating new routines
in your life. Now is the time to introduce a morning routine,
chore routine, after school routine or any other new routine that
would help manage your life.
4. Try on
a New Focus
With a new
season comes an opportunity to try new things or focus on something
different. The purpose of this process is to grow and stretch
you in ways that will bring about positive change in your life.
Pick an area in yourself that you would like to develop. Perhaps
you’d like to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. Maybe
you’re tired of living in fear and you’d like to cultivate courage.
Perhaps your marriage could benefit from better communication
or conflict resolution skills. This season another coaching peer
and I have decided to work through a book together that will help
each of us examine our personal relationship with money. Whatever
it is, make a commitment to educate yourself, engage in personal
discovery, and mature in your new focus.
5. Renew
Commitments
Do you have
commitments you’ve made to yourself or other people that have
fallen by the wayside? Commitments to be on time, exercise regularly,
eat healthier, and stop procrastinating are all examples of promises
that can be renewed. We don’t have to wait for a new year – a
new season (or any other time, for that matter) is an excellent
time to start anew. What commitments did you keep last season
that you want to continue? I kept a very detailed and organized
work schedule that significantly helped balance my life. I am
committing to continue that in the new season. Take time to think
about your life and the intentions you want to set for the coming
season.
6. Set Goals
How do we incorporate
all these new changes into our life? We set goals that enable
us to reorganize, recommit, and refocus on growth. Looking ahead
to the end of this next season, what would you like to accomplish
by then? Make a list of 3-5 goals to focus on for the new season.
Make your goals specific. I want to organize all my closets. Your
goals should be measurable. I want to lose weight vs. I want to
lose 20 pounds. Set goals that are reasonable and achievable.
Ask yourself if your goals are realistic. Anticipate any obstacles
that may stand in the way of achieving your goals – make plans
to conquer those obstacles. Lastly, make sure your goals are time-oriented.
Set an exact date your goals will be attained. By setting goals
and mapping out the tasks it will take to accomplish these goals,
you are increasing your chances of creating what you want.
The changing
season is a new beginning – an opportunity to recreate your life. |
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 I am thrilled
to announce my newest product ~ The Self Esteem Series.
This eBook
series is not just for women that struggle with low self esteem,
but also for anyone who finds it challenging to engage in self-love.
Volumes 1 and 2 are now being released, with Volumes 3-8 to be
released at a later date. The first two volumes will help you:
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True to You Life Coaching™
Phone: (630) 236-7142 Email: lori@true2youlifecoaching.com |