Motivation is a mysterious thing. So is goal setting and planning. As we bring in the New Year, it is traditional to make goals or plan for improvement. On Sunday afternoon at Life in Balance on Route 6 in Mattapoisett, a crowd gathered for a free lecture on setting and actually achieving your 2014 goals.
“Commitments require action,” said Lauren Leduc Lemieux, a life coach who told the crowd that “resolutions are decisions without actions while commitments require action.” In her inspirational talk, Lemieux said that “anything is possible if you make the commitment to the goal and follow through.”
Participants interacted with Lemieux and some made comments such as “to change from what I am now doing would be scary”, and “I’m not really sure what I should be doing at all.” Lemieux encouraged the group, through various exercises, to really ask themselves where they would like to be a year from now.
“Are you committing yourself to be your best?” asked Lemieux. “If you fast forwarded to 2015 and you achieved these goals, how would that make you feel?” she asked.
The workshop included asking where the participants wanted to be six months from now and a year from now. Many participants had significant goals, while others said that they were unsure and that they needed help figuring out what they should be shooting for in the New Year.
After hearing some of the goals, Lemieux asked the crowd what it would mean to them to achieve these goals. A lively discussion ensued.
The last question posed by Lemieux asked about the challenges the group faced in attaining their goals. When asked by Lemieux to share their goals, the group enjoyed discussing everything from losing weight, getting along with an in-law, or just trying to enjoy each day instead of always focusing on the past or the future.
In summary, Lemieux noted that ‘four D’s’ really help an individual get to where they want to be in life, in regard to wishes, goals, and a true desire to change.
The four D’s include: Desire to change, Decisions to change, Determination to change, and Discipline to change.
“Trust yourself, do what you want to do or be,” said Lemieux as she ended her presentation. Lemieux is an Acushnet resident who left a family business to explore her goals and found her happiness in becoming a life coach.
By Joan Hartnett-Barry
