Is it time for a change?
Change can be such a difficult and overwhelming idea. Thoughts about what we want, what we need, how we can do it, whether we can commit to it, whether we even want to change – it can all get a bit complicated and tricky.
We can get into patterns that feel familiar and comfortable, even if they’re not necessarily the best choice for us. Sometimes those patterns may not feel comfortable and we still find ourselves being reluctant to change, and that can be tough.
Thinking about the effort that might be involved in the change, and taking risks/a chance on something new, the thought of the unknown – it can all be a bit scary.
But ultimately, if nothing changes, nothing changes. If you keep doing what you’re doing now, then can anything different come from it? Even though we often feel a bit out of control at what life throws at us, we do have some choice over how we react and how we behave. Recognising this choice can be scary, but if you want to make some changes in your life, you need to make some changes in your life.
So how do we make change? Break it down into smaller goals. If you decide to go to the gym 7 days a week for 2 hours (when you’re currently not going at all), it’s very unlikely you will keep this going. Maybe going twice a week for an hour could be a good start. Build up gradually and make the goals SMART (specific, measured, achievable, relevant, timebound).
Think about how confident you feel on a scale of 1-10. If we’re at less than a 7, we’re less likely to stick with it – we need to feel confident at the start. So if it’s at a 5, think about how you can make the goal a bit smaller, or get some help with it…just to try to boost than confidence up a bit.
Look at the things that keep you stuck and come up with new ways of working with them. If you stop yourself from making change because you procrastinate or because you’re pushed for time, maybe start with breaking down the change into spending 5 minutes on it – just 5 minutes. Most people can spare that!
And don’t give up at the first hurdle. If you decide to eat healthily and then one day have a takeaway, that doesn’t mean you have to give up. Have a back-up plan. If you want to go for a run but it rains, don’t write the week off – perhaps do some yoga or indoor exercise instead. If you had 100 pound coins, and one pound coin was damaged, you wouldn’t throw the whole lot away.
Change is tough, it takes perseverance and determination. But it can be so worthwhile. And if something changes, something changes in your life.