Life and Business Coaching are on the rise. Working with a Coach can offer accountability for
your goals, a sounding board for your life’s choices, and a confidante for life’s difficulties. Coaching has grown out of the movement of positive psychology. As a Life and Business Coach, here are my Top 10 Tips for Living Your Best:

1. Make Time for Your Health – Eating right and exercise are foundational to living a happy, healthy life. Remember the old saying, you are what you eat? The quality of your health and energy depend on the quality of foods you are eating. Take the time to plan and make healthy meals. Making the time to care for your body is not only important to your health, but to your mental health as well. Research has found that the effects of depression can be alleviated by regular exercise. You only get one body, best to take good care of it throughout your life.

2. Make Peace with Yourself –Making mistakes is part of being human, have compassion for yourself and others as we are all in the process of learning and growing on this planet earth. Forgiving yourself means taking the learning from your mistakes and moving on.

3. Let Go of the Past – We can get so caught up in the hurts and injustice of the past.  When we think of past hurts, we feel hurt all over again. Letting go of the past doesn’t mean to cover it up and deny it, but rather to see it for what it is, our mistakes or someone else’s, and then being willing to forgive and let it go. Forgiving others frees us from negative emotions of anger, hate, and victimhood and opens us up to more positive range of emotions.

4. Imagine the Best – What is the best you can imagine for yourself? Imagination holds the key to  possibilities. As we open up our imagination, we dream about what is possible, then like magic, synchronicities show up to bring us the possibilities. Airplanes, internet, television, running water, all these things started as a dream in someone’s head. Your reality starts in your head, what can you imagine for yourself and your future?

5. Cherish the Present Moment – Too often we wait for vacations to spend quality time with our loved ones. Cherishing the present moment can be done every day, appreciating the little things in life with our friends, spouses, children and loved ones. It is as simple as asking yourself, “what is there to enjoy here?” and then taking a mental snapshot of it. Whether it’s your morning coffee, the smile of a friend, the laugh of a child, it’s the small moments of everyday that make up a lifetime.

6. Believe in Yourself. Why do we so often define ourselves by the past? The past is only a memory. What if you were to define yourself by the future and what you aspire to? As we think better about ourselves, we feel better and then naturally do better.  You hold the best within you right here, right now. Take an “I can do it” attitude.

7. Have Clear Written Goals – A study conducted at Dominican University found that those who had written goals significantly outperformed those who only thought about their goals. And, those who reported their weekly progress to a friend, significantly outperformed other groups. Having clear, written goals is a cornerstone to your success, and even better is to have a friend that will support you in achieving your goals. Make short term, mid range and long term goals.

8. Take Small Actions – Take one small positive step everyday that will move your life forward. Success is built one step at a time, it’s all the small steps that add up rather than a singular heroic effort. As you take small steps every day, you build a solid foundation for your success.

9. Stay Positive – Research has found that optimism increases longevity, health, job successes and higher scores on  achievement tests according to “Research Affirms the Power of Positive Thinking” by Daniel Goleman, published by The New York Times. When you practice the power of positive thinking, it helps you stay focused on what you want, helps you find solutions to your challenges, and empowers you to take action toward your goals. Plus, it may also benefit your health as researchers found that pessimists were more susceptible to depression and disease. Keep a scrapbook or journal in which you write only your successes and moments of happiness. You can include pictures, great quotes, your experiences, and this then becomes a great pick-me up anytime that you need a mental boost. As you think about the good experiences, it primes your brain to remember more good experiences, and create more positive experiences in the future.

10. Build Your Social Support – Positive relationships are key to enjoying life. As you cultivate your positive relationships with friends and family, you build a social support that can promote your health and well being. Making time for friends and family can decrease stress, provide mental well being, and even promote better health. A great way to meet new people with like-minded interests is to join groups on meetup.com.

Whether you are working on your own or with a Coach, as you implement and practice these tips, you’ll be thinking better and feeling better in your life.

Leave comments with your tips for living your best!

Here’s to your Health, Happiness, and Success!

Holly Stokes, The Brain Trainer