Take charge during the last 30 days of summer

Imagine it is September. There is a mother sitting on her front porch twisting her dish towel. She is feeling frustrated because some of the summer plans she had for her kids never happened. Why?

Next we witness a father in his office staring out the window. Yes, it is the beginning of September, and all the promises he made to his family about this summer being different (and that he would take more time off work) never materialized/ Why?

Why? It is because we don't make a decision. If we want to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others, we need to make a decision to change.

How does someone do this? There are 3 steps to making a difference. The first step is spending time in thought. Think about the eight different areas of your life, and what you want to see happen in each of them before the summer ends.

Consider each of the following:

1. Recreation.

2. Relationships.

3. Personal growth.

4. Health.

5. Spiritual.

6. Business.

7. Finances.

8. The community.

Now that you have completed Step 1, move along to Step 2.

Step 2: Open your calendar and book it. Book time for these goals just like you would an appointment with your doctor or an important business meeting. In order to make them happen, you must set time aside to do so. The surest way for this to occur is by scheduling it.

Step 3: Take charge! It all goes back to making a decision. Take responsibility and make these things happen. Put them into action. Don't allow yourself to fall back on excuses. By making a decision, you will make the end of summer fabulous for yourself and those around you.

Don't stop there. When September rolls around, be sure to sit down and make a decision to map out your entire fall using this same process. As a result, you will be proud of your choices and the things you have accomplished along the way. Have a fabulous end of summer.

Linda McLean, a certified life and business coach, is the owner and founder of McLean International in Reno. Contact her through

mcleaninternational.com.