If you fail- try again

Each time I've tried to blog I've failed. I start, I get lazy, I forget. I'm sure a lot of people are feeling that way right now since the first month of 2013 is over. Sure you had big ambitions on New Years and the first days of January- resolutions, dreams, hopes, goals. But what about now? How many of those resolutions have you stuck to? Are you still working out and eating healthy? Have you finally quit that terrible job? Quit smoking? Paid off your credit cards? Or did you last about a week or two before you fell back into your old habits?

It's tough to make a change in your life. They say it takes 21 days to create new habits and most of the time we don't make it that long. That's okay. Accept your failures. Each time you try to accomplish something you learn something new about yourself or about the process even if you don't achieve what you set out to do. There is saying I always tell my students in my yoga class: yoga is a journey, not a destination. It's not about the final posture. It's about the presence of mind and active attention to each step that really makes up a yoga practice. Same thing with life- a great life is not made up of what you accomplish, but how you feel every step of the way, the people you meet along the journey, the experiences shared, etc. Same thing with anything you are trying to accomplish. It's about the journey- not the destination. The quicker you accept that then the sooner the frustration, anxiety, and disappointment dissipates.

Let yourself fail. You were always supposed to fail. You are exactly where you are supposed to be doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. You have a choice in every moment- to let the experience get you down and make you angry or sad or let the experience prepare you for the next one and make you feel smarter, stronger, and more confident. Try again armed with your new knowledge. The only time you can ever really fail is if you stop trying. We're taught as kids that if you fall off your bike you have to get back on and try again. How quickly we forget this as we get older though. The only thing standing in your way is yourself and your belief that you failed.

Action Steps:

1) Think of what you have accomplished so far this year. Even if it's just a list of attempts you, keep in mind that you are still one step ahead of where you were back in 2012 before you attempted and before you "failed."

2) Set new goals and recognize what has held you back from accomplishing goals in the past. Whether its self-doubt, lack of dedication or motivation, not having a support system, etc. you need to know what has held you back before so you can overcome the challenges when they present themselves again.

3) Tell someone else about your goals, dreams, wishes, and hopes. It can be me, your sister, your mother, your significant other, your friend, facebook, twitter, or anyone. It doesn't matter who. In fact it can even just be yourself as long as you write it down, put it in a song, paint a picture of it, or do something active demonstrating your intention to yourself. This will hold you accountable and make you take it seriously.

4) Enjoy the journey and know that you are capable of more than you think.

As for me well so far in 2013 I've done a 7 day juice cleanse, paid down a significant portion of my credit card debt, started writing a book (so I can remember my life experiences as I want to and not how facebook displays it), begun a 30-Day Challenge to master organization and achieve my goals, and made another attempt at keeping up with this blog. Stay tuned as I plan on posting excerpts from my book and links to new songs I've been writing to help share the lessons I've learned which may help you to actualize your full potential, surround yourself with love, and live your dreams. We're all in this together.

Cheers!
Lucia
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@LiveLoveLucia