Ten Principles To Creating Lasting Change In Your Life
Creating lasting change is something many of us find difficult. If it was so easy none of us would need to lose weight, or keep smoking despite wanting to give it up, or continue to have disastrous relationships, or work too hard, or continue to make New Year's resolutions which they fail to keep.
How often have you decided you need to do something to change your life, go on a diet, meet more people, give up listening to that negative voice in your head or cut down on your work commitments to find yourself opening the biscuit barrel or booking another appointment almost immediately.
How often do you find yourself thinking I've broken my resolution so I might as well have another..?
Creating lasting change is so much easier if you stick to the principles outlined below.
1) Be clear about what you want to change and why
Understand what is going well in your life. What is it you want more of? What is it you hate about your life and want to change? What difference would the change make to your life if you achieved it? The most dramatic changes happen when "shoulds" become "musts".
2) Believe it is possible to make the change.
Think about other examples within your life of how you have succeeded in changing. Many of the changes seemed impossible – yet you did it.
3) Set clear, specific goals.
The more specific you are about what it is you want to do the easier it is to plan how to do it and to measure your success once you have achieved it.
4) Imagine Your Success is a reality.
Imagine yourself at a time in the future when you have succeeded in making the change.
How is it different? How do you feel about the fact you have succeeded? Remember nothing succeeds like success. Use yours to help you believe you can make this future change.
5) You get what you focus on.
If you want a brilliant relationship but you only focus on work or financial success you are far less likely to achieve a brilliant relationship. Set aside time and energy to make things happen.
6) Take action
Things will not change unless you make the decision to do things differently. Many of us do the single grand gesture and then loose interest. It is the small actions taken consistently which make a sustained difference.
7) Ask for help
We have no hesitation in calling for a car mechanic or heating engineer when we want to sort our car or our heating out yet when we want to make fundamental changes to our lives we try to do it alone.
Work with a coach, a personal trainer or mentor. They can help you clarify your thinking, set goals, plan how to achieve them and hold you accountable for the choices you make. If you think it too expensive think of the cost to the quality of your life of not achieving your desired outcome.
8) Surround yourself with positive people
If you want to give up something, drinking, smoking perhaps you will find it easier to spend time with people who do not smoke or drink heavily. If you want to do something seek those who do it already and model their behaviours.
9) Maintain the pace
What action can you take today to start your journey to success? Remember even the longest journeys start with the first step. Where do you want to be in 4 weeks time, in three months, by the end of the year? Set milestones so you can measure your progress. Make them achievable but with a level of challenge. If you experience a set back recalibrate your milestones rather than give up.
10) Celebrate your success
Celebrate each small victory. Create celebrations which support rather than work against your goal. Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator.
Consider your life. What can you do to make a lasting change in your life?
How often have you decided you need to do something to change your life, go on a diet, meet more people, give up listening to that negative voice in your head or cut down on your work commitments to find yourself opening the biscuit barrel or booking another appointment almost immediately.
How often do you find yourself thinking I've broken my resolution so I might as well have another..?
Creating lasting change is so much easier if you stick to the principles outlined below.
1) Be clear about what you want to change and why
Understand what is going well in your life. What is it you want more of? What is it you hate about your life and want to change? What difference would the change make to your life if you achieved it? The most dramatic changes happen when "shoulds" become "musts".
2) Believe it is possible to make the change.
Think about other examples within your life of how you have succeeded in changing. Many of the changes seemed impossible – yet you did it.
3) Set clear, specific goals.
The more specific you are about what it is you want to do the easier it is to plan how to do it and to measure your success once you have achieved it.
4) Imagine Your Success is a reality.
Imagine yourself at a time in the future when you have succeeded in making the change.
How is it different? How do you feel about the fact you have succeeded? Remember nothing succeeds like success. Use yours to help you believe you can make this future change.
5) You get what you focus on.
If you want a brilliant relationship but you only focus on work or financial success you are far less likely to achieve a brilliant relationship. Set aside time and energy to make things happen.
6) Take action
Things will not change unless you make the decision to do things differently. Many of us do the single grand gesture and then loose interest. It is the small actions taken consistently which make a sustained difference.
7) Ask for help
We have no hesitation in calling for a car mechanic or heating engineer when we want to sort our car or our heating out yet when we want to make fundamental changes to our lives we try to do it alone.
Work with a coach, a personal trainer or mentor. They can help you clarify your thinking, set goals, plan how to achieve them and hold you accountable for the choices you make. If you think it too expensive think of the cost to the quality of your life of not achieving your desired outcome.
8) Surround yourself with positive people
If you want to give up something, drinking, smoking perhaps you will find it easier to spend time with people who do not smoke or drink heavily. If you want to do something seek those who do it already and model their behaviours.
9) Maintain the pace
What action can you take today to start your journey to success? Remember even the longest journeys start with the first step. Where do you want to be in 4 weeks time, in three months, by the end of the year? Set milestones so you can measure your progress. Make them achievable but with a level of challenge. If you experience a set back recalibrate your milestones rather than give up.
10) Celebrate your success
Celebrate each small victory. Create celebrations which support rather than work against your goal. Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator.
Consider your life. What can you do to make a lasting change in your life?
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