By Judi Moreo

It’s your choice! You can go through life getting by or you can do something that really matters. It could be something you do for someone else or something you do for yourself. It could even be something you do for the world.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is, it’s just as easy to do something big as it is to do something small. That’s why I get my coaching clients to make a commitment to writing a book, preparing a thought-provoking speech, completing a degree, launching a business, or finally, doing an around-the-world trip. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it is something that resonates with you and will give you a sense of satisfaction and joy. What matters is that you commit and then do what it takes to make it happen.

This time next year, you’ll be a year older and exactly where you are today if you don’t commit to setting a goal and making a change to the way you’ve always done things.

Stop playing small. Acknowledge the talents you have and do something with them. Many of us have done something in the past and had people put us down or make negative comments, so we put that talent on the back burner to avoid any further criticism. We stopped trying. We stopped trusting ourselves. We stopped believing. We started shrinking!

We even apologize for our accomplishments, downplay our successes, and hide our brilliance behind the walls we’ve built to protect ourselves from hurt. We become afraid that no matter what we do, we will fail.

It’s time to stop letting fear control us and stop ignoring the calling of our hearts. Stop being concerned about the thoughts and comments of others.

It’s time to take back your life and do something big. Even if you fail, you will have the satisfaction of making the effort and you will know for yourself what you can and cannot do. And you will have had small successes on the way to the goal you were attempting to reach.

Take time to sit with yourself and listen to what your heart is saying. Create a journal. This is a place to be honest and authentic…to write down your feelings, desires, and ideas. A journal is a place to plan what you want and how to get it. One of the benefits of journaling is that you can go back, read, and based on that plan, figure out how to get what you desire. It’s also a place to find out what you don’t want so that you can get the little things out of the way and make room for doing something big.

Write goals that will inspire you to use your talents to accomplish what you want deep in the recesses of your soul. Give yourself permission to operate outside of your comfort zone. Take action steps that you are afraid to take.

Ask yourself, “If the world were perfect, and money were no object, what would I do?” And then, do that!

Be careful not to share your big ideas with the people who have told you that you can’t succeed. Share your ideas with people who believe in you and can assist you in making your dreams happen.

Last year, one of my coaching clients wanted to write a book. She had no idea where to begin and really didn’t believe she could accomplish her dream in a year, but I believed in her. She had a great story to tell as well as the passion and desire to tell it. She just needed someone like me who could show her the path, keep her on schedule, and hold her accountable. It is now less than a year later and her completed manuscript is being edited and submitted for publication.

You can do what you want to do. You first have to know what it is, commit to it, and then do whatever it takes to make it happen. This year, you can accomplish something big!

Judi Moreo may be contacted for speaking engagements, training programs, and coaching through Turning Point International, (702) 283-4567, or learn more about Judi at www.judimoreo.com.