Single.... Now What

You are suddenly single. You life has taken a sharp turn that you were not expecting. Now what? You have a lot of things to decide, a new life to create.

Please understand that there are some things that you can control and some that you cannot. For those things that you have control over, here is a process that may help you move on.

Brainstorm. Let your mind run free. No idea should be discarded out of hand. Jot down everything that pops up. It is not so much what you should do, but more what could you do, what you might like to do? It is sometimes helpful to have a friend to add some ideas that you may not have thought about.

Review and refine your ideas. Take those notes and see what you have. Make them understandable and at least somewhat attainable.

Prioritize. Sort them and prioritize them. List them in order of desirability and achievability.

Reduce. Pare it down. Look at that list and reduce it to a few items that you really like and that you think "I can do that."

Sleep on it. Take a few days to let it settle. The one thing you do not want to do is to act irrationally.

Review. Take a second look. Review your ideas. Are they still what you want?

Plan. Make a plan. Create an action plan with SMART goals.

Coach. Get a coach, or a friend to go over the plan with and to keep you on target.

NOW ACT! Don't put things off, start your new life today.