Soul Inspired Goal Setting – Your ABC Action Guide

A	Where Are You Now?

Let’s get started by taking a good look at your life the way it is today. Do this exercise by filling out your Life Wheel. Draw a circle on a blank piece of paper, divide it into the following 8 sections:

1. Career/Business
2. Finances
3. Health & Self Care
4. Intimacy/Significant Other
5. Social, Fun & Recreation
6. Personal/Spiritual Growth
7. Family, Friends & Community
8. Physical Environment

Complete all the categories listed in the wheel by using words to describe your current experience and by ranking your level of satisfaction. Rank your satisfaction on a scale from 1 -10, with 1 being poor or almost non-existent and 10 is very good.

B	Get Inner Guidance

To create a life that you love is about filling it with doings, people, things and experiences that reflect your essence and what you are in harmony with. To choose well you need to know yourself well. Self discovery is a journey that is always ongoing, and it is helpful to use several different ways to learn about you.

In this article I am sharing some of my favorite tools to help you get to know who you are truly. This knowing will allow you to plant the seeds that will grow into a life of greater meaning, success and fulfillment…

1. Journaling

Even if you think you have nothing to write, sit down with pen and paper and see what comes out. Relax your mind and begin to write your dreams, remember that you are only writing for your eyes so there are no worries about other’s judgment, possible resentment and you already have all the skills, empowerment and money you need to dream big!

According to Universal Law, if you can think it you also have the capacities to manifest it. In other words, you are only able to tap into the inspiring ideas from the “universal vault of unending possibilities” that you can accomplish. Consider this statement seriously and keep writing down your dreams and visions on a regular basis. The consistency of this activity allows you to fine tune where your inspired heart is pulling you.

Another approach to journaling that is especially useful if you feel stuck is to ask your “higher self” questions in Q&A format. Here is an example. On a blank page in your journal, write “Q:” followed by your question, if you don’t even know what to ask, you can ask “what question do I need to ask to connect with my true desire?” On the next row write “A:” and wait for the answer to come to you, be in a relaxed state and don’t force. At times the answer may come almost instantly, at other times you may have to wait days or weeks… What is important here is to not give up; you will get your answer when you are ready for it…

2. Slow Down and Listen to Your Inner Voice

Most of us are too busy with day-to-day stuff to hear the message from our faint inner voices. This is important to get authentic direction in your life, and no one else can do this for you, only you can hear your inner voice.

Begin by making the decision to spend time with you. Give yourself a quiet space in your home, in nature or where you find peace. Be sure to minimize sensory stimulation, which means being away from bright lights, loud noise and other distractions. Since there is no off button on your mind, make it quiet by bringing your awareness to the rhythm of your breath, take deep, slow breaths and just be in the present moment. Release thoughts pulling you back to your past, they are not who you are. Release all thoughts pulling you towards the future, since they are not who you are. Just be in the moment and connect to the power that is always there for you but only when you unlock it by being totally present.

In this relaxed and intensely present state, allow yourself to step out of time and space and reach out to the formless universe that is always surrounding you. When you inner voice whispers or speaks to you, listen attentively and bring its wisdom with you as you re-enter your daily life and the world of form.

Have a date with yourself on a regular basis, and you will discover that it becomes easier to hear your inner voice whisper guidance for each step of your journey.

3. Have a Hand Analysis Life Purpose Session and Discover Your Unique Success Map

What may take you years to discover on your own, you will learn in minutes when you invest in yourself and get a Hand Analysis Life Purpose Session. This may sound too good to be true, but your hands are actually a map of your soul psychology and personality. Your fingerprints reveal your soul’s calling or if you prefer your Life Purpose Energy.

The fingerprints also bring your Life Lesson out of the dark. Your Life Lesson is your blind spot where you tend to get stuck and hold back. Learning your life lesson, and how to “work it” so it doesn’t keep you stuck, is fundamental to your future success. You may be able to figure out your Life Purpose on your own, but I have never met anyone who has uncovered their life lessons themselves (it is called your blind spot for a reason…)

Your hands also reveal your Personality, Temperament and potential Gift Markings. Gift Markings are present in around 35% of the population and are explosions of energy you need an outlet for in your life, or they will go into penalty mode which is no fun… In other words, the information in your hands reveals your unique energies that will always be at work in your life. By knowing what they are you can make them work for you, instead of against you.

C	Use Your Personal Insights as You Plan Your Year

After strengthening your communication within yourself, and hopefully also have your hands decoded, return to the Life Wheel, but this time write down specific goals that you would like to achieve in each area of your life by the end of 2010. Be sure to allow your insights gained from your improved internal communication, and from learning your unique Life Purpose & Lesson, to influence the goals you set in all categories of your Life Wheel.

Draw several copies of the Life Wheel and write specific goals for each spoke of your “Life Wheel”. Begin with a 1 year goal, and continue by breaking the goals down into more manageable pieces. Write a version for where you want to be in 6 months, in 3 months, in 1 month and use the “Life Wheel” to write down your weekly action steps. And don’t forget to get the satisfaction of checking them off as you accomplish your goals…) Good luck and don’t forget that all success is had one baby step at a time!

5 Holiday Gifts to Yourself for Personal Growth

No matter what religious celebration December means for you and your family, they are all about giving. Most of the giving is done to family and friends. The kind of giving I would like to explore in this article is about giving to yourself, and I’m not talking about getting more stuff!

When we stop growing physically, many may think they are done with the growing, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is when the real growth starts, your Personal Growth!

To create an environment fertile for personal growth, these 5 gifts to yourself are a great beginning.

1	The Gift of Time

Some people need more alone time than others, but everybody needs “cave time”. Please make this a priority, and put “time alone” in your calendar. If you are not used to taking alone time, it’s OK to do a “mindless” activity like going for a walk, take a bath or clean out your sock drawer. Use this time to check in with yourself and ask how you are doing. Does any area(s) in my life need change?

2	The Gift of Space

Anything that competes to get your attention is a distraction. This can be visual in the form of clutter, or auditory as a constant stream of sound. Time alone is often more energizing in a space free from distractions. Create it in your home or find a serene quiet place elsewhere.

3	The Gift of Breath

I have discovered the power of the breath, and would like for you to make this discovery as well. It is almost too simple to be true! By focusing on the breath, you are instantly removed from thoughts that hold you captured in the past or the future. When you are in the present moment you are able to tap into creative energy. Always breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Take deep slow breaths and follow the rhythm of your breathing with your mind.

4	The Gift of Being Able to Surrender to What Is

Non-productive worry drains energy from areas in your life where action is possible and needed. The essence of the “serenity prayer” says it all, take a moment to internalize it.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

the courage to change the things I can;

and the wisdom to know the difference.”

5	The Gift of Outside Support

Einstein said: “You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created.” I hope these wise words help you understand why your personal growth and healing is dependent on asking for, and receiving help from someone who has achieved a higher state of health than yourself.

Since I started my journey towards greater health I have immersed myself in books and regular consultations with natural health practitioners, and I know for sure that I would not be where I am today without getting boosted by individuals ahead of me. I urge you to do the same and find a practitioner that you resonate with.

Everything in universe has a polarity, “the other side of the coin”. When it comes to giving, the flip side is receiving. If you can’t receive what you are giving yourself, your personal growth is going nowhere fast.

Receiving is not acknowledged or valued as much as giving in our society. But without a gift being properly received, the power in the act of giving is lost. The most difficult receiving may be gifts from you. Please receive the gifts from yourself with great consciousness and gratitude.

Try My Holiday Favorite “Tomtegröt”!

This is a holiday favorite in our family, this classic Swedish dish is a must on the Christmas table.

“Tomtegröt” means “Santa’s porridge”, and a few spoonfuls are usually placed outside the front entrance for Santa himself!

Traditionally each family member must make up a short rime before they are “allowed” to start eating.

This is the perfect comfort food during cold winter nights. You may be familiar with this dish as “rice pudding”. Below is my family recipe, give it a try and let me know what you think!

“Tomtegröt” – Swedish Christmas Rice Pudding

6 portions

1/2 Tbsp Butter, unsalted

1 Cup Short Grain Rice (I use sushi rice or arborio)

2 Cups Water

3/4 Tsp Seasalt

1 Liter 2% Milk

3 Tbsp Sugar (we use organic whole sugar)

Melt butter in a thick bottomed pot. Add rice, water and salt. Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add milk and bring to a boil while stirring often. Place lid on pot and let simmer slowly for 40 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure there is no sticking to the bottom. Stir in a sugar and serve with ground cinnamon and cold milk. God Jul! Enjoy!

Harness the Power of Single Tasking – Get My Top 5 Reasons

In recent years with the emergence of technology in the form of Blackberries, iPods and laptops, there is really no excuse left for anyone not to be multitasking and reachable at any moment.

We check email while having dinner, text while at meetings, work on a spreadsheet while watching TV, and browse the web while outlining our goals for the next year…

One may think that mankind has increased its productivity many times over in recent years, but have we really? Studies show that the opposite is actually true; multitasking uses more time per activity and increases stress.

As an entrepreneur I understand that I am extra “vulnerable” to multitasking since I wear so many hats in my business. I admit that I have been guilty of multitasking in the past, however as my business grows and my awareness of how essential it is to use my time wisely, I have shifted to single tasking more and more and seen great results.

Also, as I study other successful business owners I have noticed a common theme of “doing less and doing focused” being attributed as a main component for their successes. So it is not always about working harder, it is about working smarter and with greater awareness, and that brings results in line with your purpose!

Here Are My Top 5 Reasons for Single Tasking:

• Makes You More Creative

You are more creative when you single task since you fully immerse yourself in the task at hand and surrender to the present moment and harness the power of Now.

It is when you are truly present that you open the channel for “divine downloads” to happen. The depth of the insights you get during those intensely focused moments may bring forth to your conscious awareness the Big Idea that will take your business or life to the next level.

• Makes You More Productive

Single tasking actually increases your productivity for a couple of reasons.

First, you are being proactive instead of reacting to stimulants from your surroundings, as you choose the task at hand. As a “single-tasker” you are unlikely to decide to do things like “aimlessly surf the web for 30 minutes”.

Secondly, you save more time the more complex a task is, since complex tasks require deep concentration, and it takes time to achieve that state of deeper focus. So lots of time is lost each time you must re-enter that deeper state.

• More Enjoyable

There is nothing quite as satisfying as being able to dive deep into a project and stay with it until it is completed. If you have never done that I urge you to give it a try, and experience first hand the satisfaction and increased enjoyment single tasking will bring to your days.

• Increases Quality

It should come as no surprise that the quality of the work you produce, or the relationships you build, are greater if they don’t have to compete for your attention with another task or gadget.

• Gives You Natural Boundaries between Work and Home Life

The importance of boundaries for both productivity and health has been downplayed in recent years. The line between work and home life has become increasingly blurred, and it is easy to never have time off, aside from when you sleep. This is especially important if you work from home, as most entrepreneurs do.

Boundaries that give you true downtime may not be exciting, but are essential to recharging your batteries. Constantly checking email actually produces a steady flow of adrenaline, a stress hormone linked to premature aging and degenerative disease.

Now go ahead and use my reasons above to re-evaluate how you use your time and rediscover the power inherent in single tasking!

It’s Scary! 3 Steps To Find Courage To Live Your Life Purpose

You know what to do next to live your life purpose, but you are holding back because it’s scary… sound familiar? In this article we’ll take a closer look at why you need courage to live life on purpose, how you get courage and when it is especially important to be courageous.

1 Why it’s Scary

You need courage to live your life purpose because it always involves doing something that pulls you outside your current zone of comfort. Maybe you must let go of something that is secure but not very fulfilling, like a government job, or maybe it involves more exposure and the risk of rejection.

The fact that it’s scary to step outside of your comfort zone and into the unknown is actually a requirement for living life on purpose, since what is important is “charged” and resonates with your “soul’s blueprint”. This activates your Ego who’s job it is to keep you “safe” and exactly where you are. Your Ego “protects” you by bringing up emotional responses, and the most common of these emotional responses is fear.

2 How to Muster Up Courage

So from where do you get that much needed courage that will take you from stuck to “on track”? This is where faith comes in and I am not talking about blind faith. What I am referring to is an awareness of your access to source energy and a practical application of Universal laws and principles that will give you exactly what you need when you need it (and not before).

If you are looking for guarantees before you take action you will likely stay stuck and be in the same place a year from now as you are today.

However, what is guaranteed is that when you step into the unknown you activate Universal resources that will support you as long as you keep your focus on your goal (so keep looking ahead even if the road is rocky). This faith and focus will bring plenty of opportunities into your life to get you on the path of living life on purpose.

3 When To Be Courageous

It is especially important to take action when you notice a theme of signs that urges you in a certain direction. These occurrences can take the form of a dream or recurring dream, “messages” you notice from other people, songs on the radio, things you read and so on. All the signs that you pay attention to consciously mean something. Be aware of and look out for these subtle cues and you can take action with confidence, in spite of, or rather because it’s scary, since it is but another indication that you are on the right track.

So from now on when something is scary, see it as an indication that it is your next step, and be grateful for the opportunity to grow into the next version of yourself!

© 2004-2009 Annika Ek, TrulyU™