Envisioning Your Ideal Self

In my work as a professional coach, I've had the opportunity to interact with hundreds of individuals. I've found that people who are successful and fulfilled share common characteristics.

*They believe their success has very little to do with what they have, and everything to do who they are.

*They hold an ideal about the kind of person they want to be.

*They're willing to step into that vision, and hold themselves accountable to high behavioral standards.

The quality of your life is predicated by the manner in which you participate in it. Your participation is based on who you believe you are. Unquestionably, you have beliefs about who you are, even if you've never consciously considered them. Today, I challenge you to examine and expand on these beliefs. I challenge you to develop not only an understanding of the person you are today, but a solid vision of the person you dream of becoming.

Your Ideal Self

To create an ideal reality, you must develop a vision, which is an idea about how you'd like the future to be. It's a clear picture of what you'd like to create, and can be a source of motivation, supporting you through the challenges involved in making your dreams come true.

An ideal is a principle or standard worth trying to achieve. Your ideal self is the person that you've always imagined being, and encompasses all the power, strength, and integrity, you've aspired to. This ideal invokes a sense of confidence, pride, and serenity, and is you, at your best.

There are three steps involved in defining this amazing person. First, you must connect with the qualities or character traits that guide her behavior... Once you've defined these individual characteristics, you need to identify the behavioral standards that she holds herself to. Finally, you must decide that you are going to show up in your life acting "as if" you are already this person. Let's move through each step.

Your Character Traits

All of us possess positive and negative characteristics. It's important to identify all of your personal characteristics as you develop your vision of the person that you're committed to being. Make a list of the positive traits you'd like to incorporate in your ideal vision, and the negative tendencies you'd like to manage. In my work with clients, I've found the following approaches helpful in defining these qualities.

Other People's Traits

The qualities we notice in others have meaning. Both the qualities you admire and dislike have stories to tell. The qualities we most respond to in another, whether positive or negative, are qualities we possess, but have yet to recognize in ourselves.

If you find yourself responding to a person you recognize as outgoing, positive, and energetic, these may be qualities you possess, but have not fully embraced or developed. In kind, if you react to the overbearing nature of another individual, you may need to recognize your own tendency to be overbearing.

The Traits of Our Past

We've all experienced moments where we shined. Your may have accomplished something extraordinary. You could have experienced pride as a result of persevering through a difficult situation, or been touched by your ability to contribute to another person's life. It's at these times you were applying the positive traits you naturally possess.

Conversely, we've all had experiences that filled us with regret. Perhaps you spoke harshly to someone you care for, or were impatient when with your child or mate. It's in these moments your negative traits were at play. Once you've defined the building blocks of your behavior, you're ready to consider the way that you'd like to show up in your life.

Your Code of Conduct

I'm not suggesting you move into life with the persona of Pollyanna. I'm suggesting you consciously develop a set of standards to govern how you're committed to behaving. In coaching, we refer to this as a Code of Conduct. Your Code of Conduct defines how you'll behave, and determines how others experience you, and how you experience life. What commitments are you willing to make about how you'll conduct yourself?

Act As If

Change doesn't happen over night, but it can be conditioned over time. Once you've defined your ideal self and your Code of Conduct, you'll have a structure to support your behavior. Your next step requires you to begin living as the person you've envisioned. Your opportunity to be this person lives in each moment of your life.

Every morning, remind yourself about the person you want to be, and reconnect with that vision whenever you begin to slip back into old patterns of behavior. Allow yourself to make mistakes. You will, and that's okay. The commitment you've made to these new standards will gradually meld into the beliefs you hold about who you are. Soon, you won't be reminding yourself that you're a nurturing person; you'll be one. You won't be managing your impatience; you will have become more patient. It will happen slowly, but it will happen. Take baby steps. You are walking a new road. Put one foot in front of the other, pace yourself, and stay connected to your ideal.

About The Author

Life and Business Design Expert Kim Fulcher is the founder, president and CEO of Compass Life and Business Designs, a professional coaching, training, and publishing company. Her work as an entrepreneur, company leader, author, speaker, and business coach has resulted in her national recognition as an expert in personal and professional success.

Kim works with her clients to maximize their business results while balancing their busy lives, and speaks to organizations throughout The United States on subjects ranging from leadership to life balance. She is the author of the upcoming book "Remodel Your Reality; Seven Steps to Rebalance Your Life and Reclaim Your Passion" and co-author of "Lead With Purpose. Live With Passion. A Femalepreneur's Guide to Small Business Success".

For a free weekly dose of inspiration and for a host of free tools and products, visit our site at http://www.compasslifedesigns.com.

family-safe home cleaners Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

Envisioning Your Ideal Self

Positive Attitude Tips