6 Ways to Change Anything in your Life
We all have something in our life that we want or may even NEED to work on. Some thing that we need to change. We may even know exactly what we need to do change it, yet we continue to struggle with getting started. Whether you need to change your eating habits, increase your exercise, end a bad relationship, work on building new relationships, start saving money or any other new habit there are some very basic steps that you can implement today to get you well on your way to making that change!
1. Identify WHY you want to make the change.
Now you might be thinking, that’s a no-brainer. But the truth is if we want to improve our healthy eating or start some positive exercise, we often try to make that change through negative reasons. I don’t want to be fat, die young, be embarrassed etc. etc.
Instead, identify what you want. I want to have more energy, I want to feel better about my body, I want to increase my strength. This shifts your focus from the negative and begins to help you find the positive motivation to do what you WANT to do. This creates intrinsic positive desire to make the change you have determined you want.
2. Eliminate the excuses.
Most of us when we are working to create a new habit in our life, instinctively look for our excuses as to why we cannot make that change and giving excuses to make ourselves feel better.
Instead, work ahead to identify what obstacles might get in your way and create a game plan to overcome them. For example, if you often feel “too tired” to go work out then develop a game plan to insure you get enough rest, and a determination that regardless you will go workout. By doing this, when those unexpected events come up as they always do, you press on. The new healthy habit is continued and strengthened, and the obstacles are overcome!
3. Be KIND ALWAYS, accepting your imperfections.
This is Kindergarten 101, right? But, truly BE KIND ALWAYS, and this includes to YOURSELF! Often, when we are initially working on changing something in our lives, it is a struggle. Change takes time, it takes energy, it takes practice, it takes consistency and it takes follow through. Often when we struggle with the change or maybe even encounter a day or moment of failure (or even just a little backslide) we beat ourselves up without mercy.
Beating ourselves up just works to rob us of time, reduce our energy, prevent practice and virtually eliminate our consistency and follow through. Instead, choose to be kind, recognize where you stumbled and then identify what you can do next time. By accepting your imperfect self, it allows you continue to develop an active plan to accomplish your goals.
4. Keep GOING!
Truth is sometimes it just feels to tough or overwhelming. You may truthfully not have the time, energy or even desire to keep going. This is where you rely back on your original decision, a time when you were in a better place and did have the time, energy and desire and you made the decision that the change was necessary. SO, get up, and do what you decided was right and best for you, just keep going.
Keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when it feels to tough or seems to take too much energy. Keep Going until your energy and desire returns. Good decisions are worth sticking with, even when the going gets tough.
5. Surround yourself with positive people that will hold you accountable.
Identify some folks in your life that are good at positive motivation and willing to hold you accountable. By letting them know the change in your life you are working on and asking them if they would be willing to either make the change with you or hold you accountable you add another safety net in keeping the motivation going. This can be as simple as telling a coworker that you are working on getting up each morning and working out and asking, “will you ask me each day how I did this morning”, Or as complex as joining a group like AA.
Telling others about the changes you are making acknowledges to yourself and others that the change is necessary and wanted. This in and of itself can often be a huge step in change. It is another line of defense between you and old bad habits. It is enough to know that you will be telling someone else why you did or did not do what you did or did not do. Accountability is an enormous motivator when it comes to change.
6. Get STARTED
Many of us sit around waiting for the “right” or “best” time to start. There is truth in the saying, “There is no time like the present”! Waiting, can lead to more and more waiting and can prevent change from ever even beginning. Right now may not be a perfect time to start, but getting started is essential to change. Go ahead, take the plunge and get started right NOW!