Inspired by the fresh start of the new year, many people have asked me to give them some direction on where to focus their self-development. It’s great that you want to start taking steps toward reaching your dreams, but at times, this can be overwhelming. Here are a few places you can start:

Awareness

If you want to focus on one specific area for self-development, let it be awareness. This is the foundation block upon which to build your improved life. Nothing will change around you if you can’t gain control of what’s inside your head — everything else revolves around that concept. If you’re unaware of your thoughts, and your thoughts are overwhelmingly self-defeating, you’ll project that self-defeat out into the world. When your life is going in the wrong direction, you’ll get upset with yourself, and repeat the same cycle again. Start by simply paying attention to your inner chatter. What kind of words are you using when you are thinking to yourself? Be an active listener to your inner monologue. Creating a higher level of awareness is a fundamental thing you can work on in order to improve yourself.

Procrastination

Procrastination happens to the best of us — in fact, it happens to all of us. One of the biggest enemies of procrastination is a daily routine. Structuring and prioritizing your day really helps you complete the tasks you have in front of you. Another way to beat procrastination is to have a partner — whether it be a life coach, spouse, or friend — who can keep you accountable on your to-do list for the week. This will give you the support and encouragement you need to complete whatever is on your plate. Remember, in order for you to develop yourself, you have to allow yourself to get the things done that you need to do to reach your goals.

Visualizations

Once you come into a sense of awareness, take it a step further with visualizations: See yourself already doing the things you want to do. Visualizations are a powerful force — they help condition your brain to start manifesting the picture you are painting in your mind.

Affirmations

If you want to improve yourself, you don’t want to have negative thoughts. After you become aware, you can start to filter the negative thoughts out of your consciousness and start bringing in positive affirmations. Start with phrases like, “I am,” and “I can.” Affirmations and visualizations go hand in hand by supplying your mind with both the “video” and “audio” of your intentions.

Every year, as the New Year approaches, we are bombarded with messages pressuring us to pick a resolution for the next twelve months. For some reason or another, we have been conditioned to think of January 1st as this clean slate upon which to write our biggest intentions.

Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, or getting out of debt, we somehow think that when the clock strikes midnight, we’ll magically know how to get these areas of our life under control. As a life coach, I’m often approached by people trying to define their own New Year’s resolutions. Here’s my advice: I think your resolution should be to not have a resolution.

Here’s why:

Every day should be a resolution. Every day you wake up, you should have a desire to make something of your life. January 1 is just a day — it doesn’t mean that it’s some magical date when you start working toward your dream. I’m skeptical of New Year’s resolutions because of what normally happens to people who declare them: They don’t finish what they start. What happens then? Do you wait until next January?

People make the same resolutions over and over because they are not seeing every day as an opportunity to make something happen. Awaken your awareness and ask yourself, what areas of my life feel incomplete? Try to think back to a time when you may have been discouraged because you let negative thoughts manifest themselves into your daily life. These thoughts tell us we are not good enough, that we cannot accomplish our goals — and we believe them. What are some ways you can transform those thoughts into positive affirmations the next time they enter your mind?

This awareness can happen on January 1st, or January 2nd, or March 30th, or August 15th. My point is, live in the now. I don’t believe in “next January,” or “last January,” for that matter. Last January is over. New Year’s Day is over. Be present, and realize it’s never too late. YOU decide when your New Year’s Day should be!

How will you know if you have achieved your life’s purpose? How will you know if you’re on your way to meeting the expectations you have set for yourself?

Goal setting. You need to set goals to find your life’s purpose.

I am asked a lot by clients about how they should go about setting goals in order to find their purpose in life. I almost always advise them to flip that question and look at it a different way: How can goal setting help me reach my life’s purpose?

I approach it this way because I don’t believe you can set a goal if you don’t have an end result in mind. Goal-setting should not come before knowing what you want. The first step then, is to clarify your dreams and set your intentions. Find your life’s purpose and then figure out how to get there. That said, once your purpose is determined, goal-setting is one of the best tools to get there.

Consider both long-term and short-term goals. Many people set long-term goals and forget the middle. Long-term goals are great, but short-term goals are the ones that keep you in check and move you forward, and neglecting to set them can get you sidetracked because you have nothing to look forward to.

Try not to leave any gaps. You want to move, step to step, like stepping stones, measuring your progress along the way. Setting smaller goals helps you move toward your goal and feel accomplished without getting overwhelmed. By focusing on steps, versus leaps, you can avoid creating that static energy that typically makes people abandon their dreams.

Goals also keep you honest. If you come up with some crazy excuse as to why you haven’t accomplished your goal by the deadline, you know you’re not being truthful to your dream. You are not committed to your dream, you’re more committed to your reality.

Goals are also measurable things you can communicate to your support group — milestones to which they can hold you accountable. It’s a lot harder to give up on yourself when you have to answer to somebody.

Fears are emotions that are born from our thoughts. When you think something, you feel an emotion. The more you dwell on that thought, the more angry, happy, etc. you feel. Thoughts come from the inner chatter within our minds that we contemplate either consciously or unconsciously. Therefore, the best way to deal with this confusion is to listen to our inner voice — especially as it pertains to negative internal dialogue. Negative chatter often comes in the form of the worrisome “What if?” What if I can’t accomplish this goal? What if I don’t have enough money? What if nobody can help me? What if I can’t get another job?

Typically, we try to shut out that negative voice, and pretend like it doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, that negativity is then experienced subconsciously, materializing into things that we don’t want. Instead of resisting or pretending that the little voice is not there, become an observer, and listen to exactly what’s being said. Write it on a piece of paper, and find solutions to those problems. Try turning the “What ifs” into “Hows.” How am I going to resolve this? How can I achieve progress? How can I reach my purpose?

When you listen to the negative dialogue that happens in your mind and you simply let it be, you’re in a better position to move forward, because you can identify your obstacles. In other words, when you observe what’s going on in your mind and you write it down instead of suppressing it, you can see exactly what’s blocking you from your life’s purpose. The goal is to acknowledge those things, then let them go, trusting that God will provide the answers along your journey. You must have faith. You might not get the answers right away, but ultimately you need to recognize that He knows what’s best for you.

By identifying the obstacles and “what ifs,” you can design a plan of action. This plan helps you take the necessary steps to arrive at your purpose. Even if you aren’t where you want to be, you are now living on purpose because you have dealt with the fears, and you are moving forward toward your dreams and passions. You are more aware of your thoughts — and through that awareness, what doesn’t serve you falls away.

I recently read about a study researching the influence visualization has on an athlete’s performance. The article, Effect of mental practice on the development of a certain motor skill , by Professor L.V. Clark, who tried to determine the effect visualization had on athletic performance.

He studied two groups of high school basketball players of a two week period. One group practiced shooting free throws in the morning, and the others who visualized their practice, but did not actually do any practice. Clark found that both groups were able to improve their free throw shooting.

The idea of the study is that an athlete’s performance could be greatly improved by combining physical practice with mental practice.

Nowadays, when an reporter asks an athlete what they are doing to prepare for a fight, they’ll say things like, “I visualize myself winning.” When you hear that question asked of a boxer, you might hear them say, “I see the referee raising my hand at the end of a fight.” You might hear a marathon runner say, “I see myself breaking through that finish line,” or a quarterback saying, “I envision myself throwing that winning touchdown.” You hear those key words: “I see,” and “I envision.”

In essence, what these athletes are doing is visualizing themselves being the champion. They are envisioning the outcome of each game or match. This is becoming common in many professional sports like the NFL and NBA. In fact, some teams actually hire coaches to train the whole team to visualize themselves on that level. The goal is to start seeing yourself in the role where you want to be. With that thought comes emotion – your subconscious actually begins to “feel” that you are the winner, which is a powerful combination that leads to the creation of your reality.

Because of the fundamentals of the Law of Attraction is visualization, it’s a great tool that you can use in sports to attract the things you want at a conscious level. When you practice seeing yourself where you really want to be, you’re already picturing yourself as a winner, and you are bringing that feeling and emotion, which really makes the manifestation possible.

Oftentimes when we think of addiction, we think of alcohol or drugs. However, addiction can take many forms. First, it is important to understand that not being aware of the emotions and feelings that keep attracting what you do not want is an addiction in itself.

In order to successfully practice the Law of Attraction when trying to conquer addiction, you must first recognize that you are addicted to those thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are keeping you static.

The reason people keep attracting what they don’t want is because they are addicted to the feelings and emotions they experience. It sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. You are not moving past the addiction itself because there is some security that you are finding in your current situation.

People don’t want to be victims, and yet most people victimize themselves by complaining about how things are. They start speaking in “if only’s” — as in, “if only my life were like this, things would be different, things would be better.” The truth is, in order for things to change, you must change. Taking responsibility for your life and creating your own reality are very significant because they are necessary steps in getting rid of whatever addiction you may have.

Like I mentioned earlier, attracting what you don’t want while you are on autopilot is an addiction in itself. Instead of life happening to you, or you reacting to life on autopilot, focus on directing your life consciously to where you want to be. Coming to the realization that you have other problems that need to be fixed is the first step. Continue with positive affirmations, visualizations, and meditations that focus on a healthier, happier you.

With successfully practicing the Law of Attraction comes awareness, bringing into your life that which will serve your life in a positive way. Once you reach this level of awareness, that which doesn’t serve you falls away. The key here is: If you can conquer your mind, you can conquer your life.

What do you think? What sorts of addictions could you overcome by using the Law of Attraction?

Whether you’re trying to become more efficient at your job, or maybe thinking about changing professions completely because you don’t feel fulfillment in what you do, you can always apply the Law of Attraction to improve your job or even find a new one.

One thing that you must keep in mind is that in order to apply the Law of Attraction successfully in your life, you must understand how your actions and the way you choose to see the world around you have a lot to do with what you are currently experiencing in your life.

You cannot change the circumstances in your workplace or how you feel about your situation until you realize that you are addicted to what you are attracting to your life. You have to recognize that your thoughts are hard-wired — from a young age, you have been conditioned and trained to think a certain way.

The reason you are experiencing what you do not like is because you’ve had years of thinking and acting in that way. Therefore, you can expect the exact same results at a subconscious level. In order to change the things around you, you must change first. We attract to us the exact mirror image of who we are at the time. Once we realize that we are addicted to the things that we materialize on a regular basis, we gain a different perspective. On the inside, we feel empowered because now we know how we are creating our experiences.

If you want to attract a new job, or attract new opportunities in your old one, consider the person you are and the person you want to be. Visualize those opportunities, visualize the kind of person you want to be, and keep that image in your mind. Take the opportunities that come your way, and begin modeling the behavior you want to be known for.

By practicing this visualize, you now get to experience a paradigm shift. You get to see yourself in a completely different light by accomplishing this level of awareness. You are able to direct your life and your career in the direction that you want them to go.

I am often approached by people who tell me that the Law of Attraction is not working for them. I always ask, “Can you tell me the reason why it isn’t working for you?”

The answer is always the same: “Well, I concentrate on what I want, I visualize and recite affirmations, but nothing happens for me.”

“After you do all of that, what actions are you taking to make this happen?” I say.

“What do you mean?” is the frequent reply.

When it comes to the Law of Attraction, you have to have a plan of action. Before you build a building, you have to have a blueprint. After you have the blueprint, you have to work diligently in order to complete the project. You need to put in the hours to get the foundation done, and build the building from the ground up. The same thing applies to your goals and dreams. You concentrate and visualize, you recite your affirmations — but do you follow through by taking any action?

Let’s say you want to lose some extra pounds. Do you honestly believe that exercise is not necessary? Of course not. You know you need an exercise plan or regimen that you can follow to achieve your best results. You know that just by merely visualizing and affirming you won’t get the results that you’re looking for. You need to exercise, and watch what you eat.

The same is true with anything else you’re trying to achieve. You have to be plugged in mentally, in order to get the ball rolling. You have to set your intention with powerful emotions to keep that ball on course.

It’s true that you need to visualize and affirm that whatever you want is already yours. But if you never make a physical effort, if you don’t follow your intuitions, you will never capitalize on the opportunities the Law of Attraction will bring into your life. You are the one that has to make things happen.

You need to put forth the effort to bring the things into your life that you have already visualized. If you visualize yourself losing weight, you have to exercise. If you visualize yourself getting a better job, you have to apply for a job. If you visualize yourself winning a race, you have to train and practice.

Fulfilling your desires ultimately comes down to the effort you put into it.

Sometimes clients ask me, “If I’m practicing the Law of Attraction, does that mean I can stop working on my business now?”

Unfortunately, with a lot of myths floating around about the Law of Attraction, people are led to believe this to be true: that the Law of Attraction is some sort of Universal get rich quick scheme. This is completely wrong.

The principles of the Law of Attraction will bring specific people or situations into your life, but you must do something to make that happen. You can’t expect everything to fall out of the sky and into your lap. On other words, you must take action in order to bring the things you desire to you.

Sometimes, this is a hard step to take, but you can’t skip it. You can sit around writing down your goals and delving into you subconscious mind, but if you don’t start chipping away at those goals, you will never accomplish anything.

Some people procrastinate because they want things to be perfect. “I don’t want to open this business until I have this much money.” The money never comes, and they keep pushing that goal to the back burner. The fact is, there will always be something that isn’t quite perfect. You have to be a doer. The more you put things off, the weaker the idea becomes, and the more excuses you will find not to get it done.

Let’s say I want to be a swimmer. I can sit here and visualize myself swimming, feel the water on my skin, hear the national anthem as I’m winning the goal medal at the Olympics. That’s all fine and good, but if I never get in the pool and start doing laps, it will never happen.

You can get started on it by doing something as minor as contacting the people who might be in a network of swimmers. Maybe you attract someone who knows a swimming coach. The Law of Attraction brought that person to you, but it cannot make you speak with that person and use them to reach your goals. That’s up to you.

Consistent visualization, prayer, and mediation are all essential parts of bringing good things into your life. However, you need to have the courage to respond to them when you bring them about. Remember, nothing good comes easy. Anything worthwhile takes work.

Children and teens are prime candidates for the Law of Attraction. Why? Their minds, for the most part, are not filled with all the worries, doubts, and negative garbage that adults manifest in the Universe. Bills, mortgage payments, jobs — these are not things children have to concern themselves with.

Think about how different would your life have been if your parents introduced the Law of Attraction to you as a child. How would the world be, if all children were taught this Law at home? I believe it would not only make stronger families, but a better world.

Here are a few ways you can introduce the Law of Attraction to your kids.

1) Lead by Example

Stay optimistic. Meditate frequently. Live a life that you can be proud of. Your children are always looking up to you; you are their role model. They will emulate your behavior and pick up your attitude. Show them how you want them to live by living it yourself.

2) Educate Your Children about How Their Thoughts Affect Their Behavior

While the Law of Attraction can seem complex to adults, children often easily grasp its simplicity. Explain what the Law of Attraction means to you, and how it’s benefited you in your daily life. By educating them on the Law of Attraction, you can awaken their sense of awareness of their thoughts, which is the first step in successfully living by the Law.

3) Create a Vision Board

Vision boards are a fun and easy way to introduce the Law of Attraction to your kids. What do they want to accomplish? What things would they like to have? Collect a bunch of kid- and family-friendly magazines and have them cut out images and words that resonate with their goals and dreams. Place your findings on a board and hang it where it can be viewed frequently. Each time they achieve something on the board, put a check mark next to it. That check mark will do even more to instill a deeper sense of self-confidence, empowering your child to attract more of what he or she wants.

4) Show Support

Be a champion of your child’s journey. You are their #1 fan, so make sure they know that. When you see them implementing the Law of Attraction in their daily thoughts and actions, give them praise.

Children are like sponges when it comes to learning. They pick up new skills, new sports, and even new languages at a young age. By introducing them to the Law of Attraction, you can teach them a whole new way of thinking.