Fall: A Time of Change, A Time for Self-Reflection

As we say good-bye to summer and welcome the coming fall months, we find ourselves surrounded by change. The weather cools down, the days get shorter, and the leaves begin to change colour.  As nature reminds us that change is a continual and inevitable part of life. it feels like the ideal time to engage in some personal self-reflection. 
 
Think about all the different areas in your life:  your home environment, your relationships, your health (physical, emotional, and spiritual), your finances, etc.  Which areas do you feel great about?  Which areas do you have mixed feelings about?  Which areas are you most concerned about?  As you assess each area, consider the following:

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• What do you want more of, e.g.:  more travel, more energy, more downtime, etc.
• What do you want less of, e.g.:  less stress, less debt, less clutter, etc.
• What do you want to change, e.g.:  your weight, your job, your relationship status, etc.

 
While it probably isn't realistic to try and address everything you identified all at once, there are likely a few things that you can start tackling right away.  For instance, if you want more downtime in your life in order to relax and feel rejuvenated, you can probably achieve this with a careful review of your schedule and a bit of planning.  If you want less stress in your life, you can adopt some stress-management strategies like meditation or deep breathing.
 
Other changes, like losing weight or paying off debt, will likely require a long term commitment.  The lengthy time required to fully achieve these changes can make them seem overwhelming. However, larger goals like this are very much achievable; the key is having a plan and taking the first step.  Once you commit to a course of action, you'll be amazed and often surprised at the unexpected way in which things start to come together, so that each subsequent step you need to take becomes crystal clear at just the right time.
 
Life can get busy and hectic—so much so, that you can feel as if you don't have time to think.  Or, even if things aren't busy and hectic, you can find yourself feeling stuck, carried along by your daily routine, but inwardly dissatisfied and lacking genuine enthusiasm.  Taking some time to engage in self-reflection, and following through with concrete action, will ensure that you stay alert and aware, focused and moving in the right direction.