Planting the Seeds of Change:
Ten Tips for Nurturing Budding Ideas

As winter winds down and we are on the cusp of spring, my thoughts are turning to new beginnings. Spring is the time that we throw off the shackles of dark, dreary days, coldness, and hibernation and revel in the warmth of the sun, new flowers, and the promise of new birth. The
days are getting longer and everyone seems to be walking around with a smile on his or her face. Winter is finally over!

This is one of those perfect times of the year when everything feels new and fresh and we can see the possibilities for the future. Do you have a budding idea that needs to be nurtured? Is there a breakthrough coming that you can sense but has yet to be revealed? Spring is the perfect time to allow these to come to fruition. Here are some tips on making those ideas possible:

• Take time to quiet your mind and reflect. This could be as little as 5 minutes a day. When you take the time to quiet the inner chatter in your mind, your inner voice has a chance to be heard. This inner voice will often reveal ideas, solutions to problems, long forgotten dreams, or even just a greater sense of self awareness.
  
  
• Ask yourself some powerful questions like "What do I really, really want?", or "For my life to be perfect, what would have to change?", or "What would I try now if I knew I couldn't fail?" Questions such as these will help you to begin to voice the thoughts that you may have kept hidden from yourself.
  
  
• Use a journal to record your thoughts, feelings, and reflections. When you journal regularly you will often find hidden thoughts and desires that could give you clues to where you are heading next in life. There is no right or wrong way to journal. Just pour out onto the paper whatever comes to mind. This free flow will usually contain important nuggets that are life changing.
  
  
• For ideas on what to journal about read or listen to inspiring materials. The Chicken Soup for the Soul books are fantastic tools for seeing the amazing possibilities in life. Check out the library or your favorite bookstore for stories of people who have created wonderful things from just an idea. There are ideas all around us if we only keep our eyes open for them.
  
  
• When you have an idea, write a Technicolor vision for it. A Technicolor vision is written from the point of view that your goal has already happened. You pick a date in time, whether it be six months or a year from now. In the vision you use your six senses (hearing, seeing, tasting, touching, smelling, and feeling) to describe what has happened.
  
  
• You need to make this as descriptive as possible. Make it come alive. The point of this exercise is to put out to the Universe what you really want. There is a quote from Get Clients Now by C.J. Hayden that states “When doing business with the universe, remember that you must place an order if you want to get a delivery.” You have to let the Universe know what you want and the best way to do that is to write a Technicolor vision.
  
  
• After you have written your Technicolor vision make a point to read it every day. It has been suggested that you read it once in the morning and once before bed every day. When you take the time to read your vision, make sure you are picturing it in your mind as if it has already happened. Really feel what you have described. You are putting the Law of Attraction to work here since you are focusing your energy and attention on something you really want.
  
  
• Another idea is to record your vision and play it back on a tape recorder. You could also sign up for a free telephone conference line with LiveOffice (http://freeconferencing.liveoffice.com/) where you will be able to use your telephone to call into a special line, record your vision, and in less than an hour you will have an MP3 recording of your vision that you can download onto your computer or MP3 player.
  
  
• After you are satisfied with your vision, it's time to start making it happen. The best way to do this is to write down your goals. Pick just one goal to start off with. As you write down your goal think of why you want that goal, why would it make you happy to achieve that goal, how your life would change if you reached that goal, and are you really ready to make the commitment to that goal. Next you will want to decide on the steps that are necessary to complete that goal and the time frame for completing those goals. You will also have to decide what resources like time, energy, money, and emotion are needed for the goal. The last step is to measure your progress in completing your goal.
  
  
• When you have completed your goal, remember to celebrate! You have just achieved something. You have grown just by having the courage to make a change. Change can be very scary so give yourself a big pat on the back for fighting through the fear and emerging on the other side a stronger, more confident person.
  
  
• If you find yourself stuck at any point in nurturing your dream, hire a personal coach. Your coach will help you decide what you really want and will help you make a plan to achieve that goal. He or she will hold you accountable for your dream and will be there to help you celebrate achieving that dream.

Congratulations! You have just taken the first step in making a change by reading this article. Often it is the first step that is the hardest one to take. When we acknowledge to ourselves that a change is to be made all sorts of feelings come up for us. We may feel excitement, fear, sadness, confusion, or guilt. These are all natural feelings and must be worked through. But remember, if you are feeling the need to change, that is your inner voice telling you that something is not quite right yet. You owe it to yourself to explore your inner landscape and plant those seeds of change. Your beautiful garden awaits you!

Happy planting!

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