If your dating and love life are not satisfactory, resolve to make changes. For instance, find new ways to meet more compatible and interesting people; work on your own roadblocks to successful relating with others; and begin changing any dysfunctional patterns and behaviors by learning to make conscious and healthy choices.
Resolve to try one new thing this year. This could be anything from a new hobby to volunteer work to saving and planning that trip you have always dreamed of taking.
Declutter your space. This includes your physical and virtual environments at home and work. Not only will it lighten your perspective, it will help you to create free time to pursue something new.
Get your finances in order. This can be anything from organizing your already stable finances and making a long term plan for saving, investments, retirement, and etc- to making a plan to pay off debt and become more fiscally sound and secure. Seeing a financial planner would be a great way to get that plan started and set the right direction.
Resolve to make peace with at least one person you have unfinished business with. This could be a family member, old lover, a friend- or anyone you may be either avoiding or holding onto unhealthy anger about. You can approach this with a letter, a phone call or any offer or request for forgiveness. Regardless of their response, you will have taken the steps that help you to feel some closure.
Resolve to start each day with a moment of gratitude. This can involve anything from looking out at a beautiful sunrise and feeling grateful for one more day to finding something positive in your life, even when there are many challenges and negatives you could drift into thinking about.
Pick one small or large thing you have always wanted to change about yourself and your life and come up with two objectives in order to begin addressing it. For instance- if you have been wanting to drop weight and get in better shape- sign up for a couple of sessions with a personal trainer and ask him or her for a referral to a good nutritionist or support group for healthy eating. There are many to choose from and the key to success seems to relate to finding the one that best suits your needs.
Explore resources that could help you to make new acquaintances and friends. A strong support system is essential to the single adult. There are many meet up groups, groups for singles through their houses of worship- and volunteer opportunities that attract a certain demographic of people. Look for ones that will offer you a chance to pursue something or interest to you and that will help you connect with like-minded folks.
If you have felt an emptiness or a sense that something is missing in your life- resolve to identify what this could be and come up with a plan to address it. This could be anything from a spiritual longing to dissatisfaction with your work, present living environment or your social support system.
Coaching can be helpful with any or all of these resolutions because a good coach can help provide the support, structure, creative ideas, new perspective- and accountability to keep you on track and moving forward, even when the going gets a bit tough. All of these are resolutions I have helped my single clients to achieve- and I would be happy to work with you on them in 2011!
Toni Coleman, LCSW, CMC
Psychotherapist/Relationship Coach
703-847-1768