We’ve all been there – we start out with the absolute best intentions to make something happen in our lives. We count down to the new year, set a goal or vow to do something about our problems. We write it down and feel super pumped, because, ‘Let’s do this!’ -Right?
But then, after a week, a month… (a day?) life happens and all that resolve dissolves into thin air when we come across a behaviour we need to change to achieve our goal. Suddenly, we don’t feel that sure of ourselves and we put our immediate feelings over the actions we should take – we make an excuse about why it will only be this one time.
How it happens
Certain moments are known to trigger feelings of hope, inspiration or a drive to achieve something – New Year’s Eve, for instance. We also feel this way after watching an inspiring talk or joining a new mentorship program, whether for business, fitness or weight loss. While these activities are crucial for lighting a fire in us, they’re not the whole deal. If we want to go the distance, we need to learn how to delay gratification when faced with day-to-day challenges.
Sounds dreary AF, right?
Right about now you may be wondering what kind of miserable pit of despair you’ll be jumping into by chasing your goals. Maybe you’re even tempting to throw in the towel right here and now. Well, don’t!
Because as great as the chocolate tastes, nothing can match the joy you’ll feel when you make bank, buy that hot outfit or run with your kids for the first time in years. So, while you may ‘enjoy’ your small reward today, a bit – briefly – you’re selling yourself short on reaching the peak of real, long-lasting joy if you sell out for a Mars bar.
Continuous Improvement: A pleasure-seekers’ guide to smashing goals
If that all sounds like far too much work, there’s hope for you yet! By focussing on making small changes to your daily routine over time, you can move towards your goals while still enjoying the
process.
For example, you may be a dessert fiend. Instead of saying no to every yummy morsel every time, aim to replace one dessert a week with a healthier option. Buy a great recipe book and set a target of trying one new healthy dessert each time. Over time you’ll find new flavours and combos you love, so start replacing more of the sugary ones, until they become an occasional thing.
Try this: if you know you don’t drink enough water, start your day by filling your bottle up and sitting it on your desk. Aim to refill it at lunchtime and again when you get home. That way, instead of stressing about how many cups you’ve had you’ve simplified the process to include the soon-to- be automatic process of refilling your bottle. Knowing you need an empty bottle to fill soon could have you drinking automatically.
What now?
As you can see, making changes and smashing your goals is about more than just setting an intention. Each day will bring challenges – AND opportunities to make better choices. EACH time you do that you’re winning! So what are you waiting for? You CAN do this. And if you’d love to learn more about the small changes you can make to get BIG results, join one of my Habit Challenges, where we’ll focus on results in the areas that matter most to you.
