We are finally back home, and after allowing myself a “comatose” day, I am back in the office and back to writing (even if I still feel comatose!). After my week away, and after listening to some very inspirational speakers at the Rules for Renegades Summit in Irvine, California, I realized it is time for my self check-up.

What’s that, you ask? This year is nearly half over. You may not want to think about it but this is the perfect time to take stock of how far you’ve come and to consider what lays ahead. Yup. I am serious.

If you have made any personal or professional commitments, have you been keeping track of where you are now? How much closer to your goal(s) have you come?

Remember, this is not a time to panic or get down if things are not looking the way you sketched it out in your plan yet. It is a time to realize that you need to take bigger steps, keep your promises to yourself, and respect and love yourself enough to do what you really, really want to do — now!

And if you haven’t made any personal commitments and goals yet, there is no better day than today!

“Conversation is food for the soul.”
— Mexican Proverb

Our whole self needs to be taken care of to keep healthy. In the same way that you need to feed your physical body with healthy foods for nourishment, it is important to feed your mind with positive thoughts, and your soul with personal growth through life challenges.

All three, body, mind, and soul, also need to rest in order to function at their best. The body requires sleep, the mind and soul can both benefit from meditation or mindfulness practices.

It is time to rethink optimal health. It is not just the realm of the body. One must take into consideration the whole self.

“Imagination is everything - it is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” — Albert Einstein

Goal-setting is one of the best ways to actively create your real life balance. Setting specific goals based on your desires (plan), seeing (visualize) and feeling them happening (put strong emotion behind them). Put yourself in that glorious future in your mind.

Be specific when you write out your goals. Start with 4 main goals which include each major sector of your life: money, mind, body, and soul. Write them in present tense, starting with “I am” and using an active verb. Give them a due date, then be sure to append “or sooner” at the end. For example: “I am eating healthy whole foods by December 31, 2008, or sooner.”

Review stage: Go through the goals at least twice a day. Visualize achieving your goals and experiencing the good feelings associated with your success.

After reviewing them in the morning, write down three things you can do today to help you achieve your #1 goal. Visualize them being achieved, and take action to make them happen. You’ll be surprised how motivated you’ll be to move to the next step. Then, as you reach a goal, move on to the next goal on your list.

We are very excited to have our new site and our new blog site up and running finally. Thank you to all of our dedicated and loyal members who have been patiently waiting for these changes to complete.

The New Year has brought with it many fabulous new ideas that we are implementing into our RealLifeChanges.com format. One of which is this new blog site where you will hear the latest news and announcements, read feature articles, catch up on your daily inspirations, and much more!

If you have any comments or questions, this is a great place to share and inquire. We will do our best to respond to your requests in a timely manner.

Tune in soon for the next submission.