What I learned from 2009

I just got back from a solid week of traveling, family and friends. Now it’s January 1, 2010 and I’m feeling a bit sentimental. (I get that way sometimes)

Looking back to one year ago, as I was approaching 2009, I knew it would be a huge year. In fact, I remember saying to myself, “Kim, 2009 is going to be Your Year.”

And so I set the intention to do everything I needed to (scary or not) to stretch my boundaries, grow and prosper, and that is exactly what happened. I’m not the only one. I can think of a handful of my clients too (just off the top of my head) who grew and thrived in a “tough” economy. It’s not always about money.

So I’ve created a brief list of things I learned in 2009 that helped me create success beyond my wildest dreams.

1. It’s all about your energy. This is something I “knew” early on, but didn’t really get until toward the end of the year. Sometimes it takes a while for me to fully absorb a concept but once I get it, it really sticks. Everything is energy. It really is. Which means that you want to protect your good energy as much as possible. The key to happiness (and health and wealth) is feeling good. The problem is that we spend so much time “unconscious” that we don’t notice we’re feeling bad. It’s that kind of thing where you didn’t know how terrible you felt, until you felt really good. I know that in the last 3 months, since I’ve really be very aware (or sensitive) to how I am feeling, I have been happier. Feeling good is the key to releasing resistance and having your dream life come to you quicker.
   
2. Working on yourself doesn’t work. Stop trying to go back and repair or make yourself better, instead start NOW and do better. There is not point in rehashing past failures because the past does not necessarily predict the future. All you have is now, and you can create you life as you desire (if you know how).
   
3. People are your path to success. I used to struggle with this one. In fact, only a couple of years ago I did everything myself. About 13 months ago, I wouldn’t even hire a coach. I had the counselling experience, and I figured I could just read a book or take more classes to reach the happiness and wealth level I was after. Boy was I wrong! Not only did I struggle (needlessly), I was lonely and frustrated and discouraged. Then I smartened up. I realized that I create my success, BUT the easiest way was to hire someone to teach me how AND surround myself with people I really admire by participating in mentoring circles and mastermind groups. THE BEST DECISION I ever made for my career, and possible the third best decision (after marrying my hubby and buying our house) in my personal life. Really. The right people know the right strategies and the right systems…and when you have those, you hold the key to success in every are in your life.
   
4. Anger and fear are okay, but don’t let them hang around too long. A visit from these emotions is okay, it actually sets you up perfectly to know exactly what you do want, from the contrast of knowing what you don’t want. It’s a powerful place to be in, for a short time. Don’t let these feelings dwell too long because they can easily take over and mess up your energy if you’re not careful.
   
5. You never know how things will turn out. Weird “coincidences” can lead to success. I shared a story in my interview with Anisa Aven in my Discover Your Authentic Life Tele-Series a couple of months ago. In February 2009, I knew I wanted to do something big…a catalyst to expand myself and my business, but I didn’t know what. I put the desire out there, and forgot about it. Then an series of opportunities came into my life (and none of them looked connected) that actually created the exact event that expanded myself and my business. I learned to let go of the “how” and follow my inspiration, even if it meant taking a program that appeared to have nothing to do with what I wanted to create. (Although I got way more value from it than expected).
   
6. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to YOU. Get real. Success follows the authentic self, not the fake one, so if you’re trying to create success from a place out of integrity with the real you it is going to take way more work, sweat, tears and frustration. Discover your authentic self, your inner calling, your true dreams and the happiness, health and wealth will follow.
   
7. You are completely, 100% responsible. Do not equate responsibility with blame! That is probably what gets so many people in a tizzy when I talk about this. Being responsibly for your success (and life) simply means that you can choose how your respond to any situation, not that you control the situation. So if you aren’t seeing the results in your business, or love life, or weight…it is completely to do with how you’re responding. I used to be to cheap to hire anyone to help me. BIG MISTAKE, and it showed in my results. I also used to have an extra 25 lbs, and it wasn’t until I got out of denial and asked for help that I lost it (and kept it off, easily). This is true for everything in your life.

You have it in you to create the best year of your life. Learn from my mistakes and get started now!