In January of a new year it's often common to have discussions of goals and creating lifestyle changes. We all have great intentions and often see the end goal or vision in our sights. We can feel this new confident future self, hear our friends and family paying us compliments, and even taste that sweet victory of accomplishment...but we are still here in our current body and lifestyle while our heads are dancing this dream.
Idea creation often is not where most of us are lacking. It’s the consistency, the follow-through, the actions. Breaking down the milestones into digestible bite size day-to-day actions that lead us to our desired change. What can we do each day to get us closer to our dreams and visions and highest self?
Our dreams are beautiful. But changing our "can’ts to cans" and our "dreams into plans" can be challenging. Maybe it’s just getting started; or we made progress and then something derailed our journey; or perhaps we find ourselves stuck, spinning our wheels.
This is where we look at how are we getting there? What are our plans? Do you have a roadmap that is sustainable? Are the rungs on our ladder reachable? It’s like the movie, "What About Bob?" with Bill Murray where he takes “baby steps” to overcome his fears and start living a life he wants. And like the movie, it’s good to view our progression with amusement.
In my own personal life I have made several transformational changes that seemed daunting in each beginning. Almost 20 years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had to change my diet and lifestyle to be gluten free before it became common. I learned to read labels, advocate for myself at restaurants, educate others cooking for me how to replace flour with corn starch in thickening sauces, change my staples for work lunches, etc. Professionally I left my software job right after a 2nd promotion and went back to school to pursue a massage career. Several years ago, I pulled my 2 children out of public school and homeschooled them, moved across states and created a homeschool community and co-op when I knew no one in the area; and now to put them back into traditional school during a pandemic. Most recently I ended a co-dependent marriage of 18 years while creating a new business after having left my old massage practice and clientele in Chicago 5 years ago. The changes and lessons of 2020 are for another post though. What transformations have you already achieved? We metamorphose from one version to another. But growth and changes are uncomfortable. We need some grit.
The obvious in creating transformational change is starting with where we are, though sometimes we need this reminder. Not were we feel or think we should be, but giving ourselves grace and gratitude for where are at the present. In building habits and creating change, we build on what skills and resources we currently have at our disposal. We find (or create) a support system that will cheerlead us on, hold us accountable, and lead us to new tools to support our journey. We can also use our past successes to give us insight on our motivations and patterns that will guide us in our plans.
And we plan and learn from the set-backs and failures. If 2020 taught us anything, it is we can’t always be prepared. But we can be agile and resilient, and as the experts told us to do, we “pivot”. What information does our set-backs glean? How can we move forward with those new lessons? What adjustments do we need to make? Is our vision still our dream? Or is there new ideas we need to consider? Powerful questions, mindfulness, and reflection are helpful tools in overcoming obstacles and moving through crisis, grief and challenging situations.
As a health and wellness coach, I am trained to guide clients through these processes of change. I help with challenging your limiting beliefs, providing you with new tools, giving positive support, identifying your strengths and patterns and co-creating your plan to reach your desired lifestyle with small sustainable change, that you can maintain independently afterwards. With support I help you build your life slowly with intention.
If you’d like a free consultation in a safe space with no judgment, contact me today.
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