How to succeed in making changes that last (part one of two)
New Year, new you? Are you among the millions of people creating resolutions to live a healthier and happier life? Are you eager to get started come January 1st? What is your plan to succeed and not become part of the statistic that 80% of people fail to stick with their program before February? What could possibly go wrong? I can think of a few things.
Personally, I do not believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I am a firm advocate that each moment describes who you are, and allows you to decide who you want to be (iPEC foundation principle), therefore you can make lasting changes that are truly transformational at any time of the year if you know how. Here is the formula I share with my coaching clients on how to make changes that last:
- You need to have a strong “why”
- Start your plan with the end in mind
- Set goals, practice intentions
- Have a mastery orientation
- Find support and accountability partners
- You need to have a strong “why”
1. You need to have a strong “why”
Your why is your identity. It is the story you repeat in your head as to who you are. I am encouraging you to spend a good amount of time pondering this question as to why you want to make a certain change. The stronger your reason and the more connected it is with your values and your purpose, the greater your chances of success will be. Your “why” is what will get you through the tough times.
2. Start your plan with the end in mind
I encourage you to either write a letter to yourself or make a video recording and describe your ideal outcome. What will be different if you stick to the plan? How will your quality of life improve? Spell it out in as much detail as you can. Visualization is a powerful tool to help you succeed as it assumes that you WILL succeed, minimizing self-sabotaging thoughts.
3. Set Goals, practice intentions
It is a common myth that implementing lasting changes is all about goal setting. Let me tell you why that is not the truth. Goals, if not set realistically, can be daunting. When we are only seeing minor progress toward our goals, our humanness sets in during the process. Self-sabotaging thoughts pop up, like “I cannot do this any longer”, “this is too hard”, or any variation of “I am not good enough to deserve this”. What will help you get past this point is
a) Re-connecting to your “why” (see 1.)
b) Setting daily intentions
Achieving intentions is a lot more doable than focusing on goals. It provides us with micro-wins along the way that we can celebrate and keep going.
4. Have a mastery orientation
It is completely normal to have moments of weakness and to want to give in to temptation. Old patterns are hard to break. If you do fail a time or two during the process, it is not the end of the world as long as you learn from the experience and get back on track. That is what is called a mastery orientation. Setbacks happen, acknowledge them, and move on.
5. Find support and accountability partners
Making changes that last is not an easy task, especially if you are trying to do this on your own. Your chances of success are much higher if you share your goals with others and find a person or a group that will hold you accountable and cheer you on.
As a professional coach, I specialize in helping professionals with mindful transformations so they can soar in all areas of their lives, not only during the month of January but any time of the year. I am offering my signature coaching program, “SOAR” that will help you transform into the best version of yourself. Contact me for a free discovery call to find out more so that you don’t fall into the statistic of the 80% of people failing by February in their attempts to change.