Are you ready to change your life for the better in 2017? Don’t get stuck on red, do a reality check first by asking yourself are you truly ready? Then keep your progress steady and go for it.
Ready
We need to wait until the time is right to start so we can give ourselves the best possible chance at succeeding. Too many times I failed at regaining my health, well-being and happiness because I had underlying issues and emotional healing to do first. I was not ready, so I would set myself unrealistic goals and time frames to meet them which set me up for failure instead of success each time.
As a result, when I didn’t reach one of my outrageous goals, I considered myself a failure and continual self-doubt set in so I stayed in the red. I know now they were great learning curves and I acknowledge my past fails as my “first attempts in learning”. Set yourself up for success in 2017 by doing a reality check on your goals and find the solutions to your new year resolutions, once you have thoroughly researched the way forward one that fits your current circumstances you will have a greater chance of achieving them.
Try to answer these five questions as honestly as possible.
1. Am I ready?
2. Do I have the support I need?
3. Is my goal realistic for me?
4. Does it take an entirely holistic view of my life at present and where I want to be?
5. Am I ready to hold myself accountable?
Focus on the last question in detail because the truth is if you are not willing to hold yourself accountable to commit, then it is likely you may not be ready to embark on significant change at present. However, don’t get disheartened or become frustrated you can still move forward by taking some smaller steps in the right direction. Small changes, once consistent can have the biggest impact, for example with a weight loss goal making a little change such as swapping a sugary cereal with a healthier breakfast such as oats, will have a significant impact on your life for the better.
Steady
Slow and steady progress is still movement forward. Ditch the urgency that needs to see immediate results as it leads to frustration and disappointment. The road to change is not straight there are bends and u-turns en route. Change is a process it does not come without the commitment to stick with it for the long haul. When you do not see results it does not mean change is not occurring. Slow down and make the connection with your mindset and identify the emotions that are causing you to become frustrated and anxious. Try going back to your reality check above and amend if necessary to reflect your current circumstances.
It can be very easy to get fixated with numbers, no matter what your goal is when we put numbers into the equation and don’t see them drop as quickly as we desire it can leave us facing resistance and wanting to give up. Resilience is required try to forget about the measurements and figures for a moment and reflect on the following questions.
1. Are you feeling good about yourself?
2. Are you proud of how far you have come already?
3. How would you feel if you threw in the towel now?
Resistance is a natural response to any change in life, acknowledge it and controlling your reaction to it will enable you to put an action plan in force, so when it shows up again, it won’t sabotage your efforts and cause you to abandon all your hard work to date. You can always find an alternative route trust yourself to find a solution remember my statement above about my past fails well now look at them from this perspective and use them to “find alternatives in life” that will keep moving forward.
Go
Two letters and just one word but it has some power in it. Every morning I would say it out loud and reset my mindset for the day ahead.
Go for it
Go live your life have no regrets
Go and be happy and grateful for all that you have
Go and make it happen for you
Go and enjoy your workout
Go that extra kilometre on your walk
Go that extra lap in the pool
You only lose what you cling to — Buddha
Originally published at medium.com