Lori Roos

    Life coach Lori Roos often says that in order to get where you want to go in life, you need a roadmap. Well, consider her your own personal GPS unit. As the owner of BlueSky Life Coaching, she's made it her business to help clients define their goals, reach their stars and increase their happiness exponentially. People going through major transitions-divorce, graduation, career change, etc.-may especially benefit from the personalized support offered by a life coach.
    During her sessions, Lori typically helps clients prioritize and clarify their goals, develop a plan of action, and overcome any obstacles that might come between them and success. "My career has always, in one way or another, focused on making positive changes in peoples lives," said Lori, who has been in this profession for a decade and a half. "Over the years, I've come to realize that the most effective strategies are coaching techniques: Instead of telling them what they need to do, I help them develop their own plan."
    As the New Year is traditionally a time to reassess and make positive changes, Lori offers women these tips for reaching new horizons:

1. Be true to yourself.
"If we don't live according to our own value system or we don't follow our personal spirit, then our lives get out of balance and it's a lot harder to be happy on a daily basis," says Lori. She points out that women are especially prone to putting other peoples' needs before their own. Another common problem can be societal pressures that urge us to let our happiness be defined by the external values, such as material culture or what we see in the media. "Through the process of self-exploration, we can discover what's really important to us," she says.

2. Choose to be positive.
"We are all in charge of our own energy," says Lori. "If we make the decision to have a positive attitude, positive things will come into our lives." It's important to understand that the sort of energy you surround yourself with is going to determine how you experience life.

3. Create a vision of success.
A strong visual image of who you want to be and what you want your life to look like provides a focal point to your daily efforts. Lori sometimes even has her clients create a collage or a list to serve as a daily reminder of what they are striving towards. "Having that mental picture will make it a lot easier to focus on your goals and achieve happiness," she says.

4. Make a plan of action.
This is the roadmap that Lori refers to. Well-defined goals, strategies and timelines can mean the difference between an elusive fantasy and a dream that becomes reality. "Smart goals are specific and measurable," she explains, "and they include both long-term goals and the short-term goals that get you there."

5. Develop a team.
"Surround yourself with people who are positive influences and who help support your dream," she counsels. "We go through a lot of transitions; we're never stagnant, and we've all been at a time in our lives when we needed a cheerleader."


The Bottom Line

It's up to each one of us to take responsibility for our daily reality. "My personal belief," says Lori, "is that we all are truly in charge of our own happiness. We have to get up every day and create the life that we want to live."