“God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it’s me.”  ~Author Unknown

I was thinking today about change.  My work mostly involves helping people to change some, or sometimes many, aspects of their lives.  It is often easier for me to help someone else to change than it is for me to help myself to change.  That may not be completely accurate – let me say this instead: “It is always easier to help someone else to change than it is to help myself to change.  Even with all that I know, and the many thousands of successful coaching sessions that I have conducted, I consistently have difficulty in making major changes for myself and by myself.  That is why I am such a big believer in coaching.  I think virtually all the people that I know have the same issue – it is usually far easier to help someone else than it is to help yourself.

I was also thinking about the easiest way to change and I believe that the answer there is focus.  If you focus your energy on just one thing, changing for the better just one thing at a time, I think you are virtually assured of success (as long as you have a coach to help you).  What should that one thing be?  I know for me there are many things that it would serve me to change about myself.  Here is how I choose: What is the one thing that I could change it, about myself or my emotional responses, or my habits, or my income, or anything else, that would make the biggest difference in my life?

For me, for 2008, the answer is my health.  I needed to change my health more than anything else and I knew that this would make the biggest difference.  So I have focused on it.  I have a coach working with me on it and I am not investing significant energy in changing other aspects of myself until this is complete.  The results?  So far this year, in just under 2 months I have lost 4o lbs. of bodyfat.  For me, that is exciting.  I can see and feel the difference and it has happened because I have focused my energy, my intention around this change and I have a coach working with me to make sure that I stay on track.

So, what is the change that would make the biggest difference for you?

Till next time…Jack

“It is not necessary to change.  Survival is not mandatory.”  ~W. Edwards Deming