On Saving Yourself from Yourself
So you’ve decided you’re not happy with something (or maybe many things) in your current life, and you want to make a change.
You get inspired by me or by some other motivating person. Maybe you read a self-help book or attend a conference. Maybe you hire a coach, go on a retreat, or join an online group.
At some point you finish the book, or the conference or retreat ends, or you walk out the doors of your coaching session.
And then reality hits.
No one else can make the change for you. It’s up to you.
This episode is about how to follow through with your intentions instead of getting sucked back into comfortable patterns that will keep you stuck.
Whenever you want to make a change, there’s an internal tug-of-war going on between two sides of yourself. There’s the you who wants to change. Then there’s the you who prefers the ease of what’s always been. After all, doing the same thing is predictable, comfortable, and, though it might not be great, it’s familiar.
Some things to help you follow through with your aspirations…
- Remember that old habits and limiting beliefs are nothing more than patterns. They’re powerful, though, because once you’re in the middle of a pattern, it’s nearly impossible to get out of it. The key is to anticipate the triggers that set a pattern into motion, and then interrupt that pattern as soon as you recognize what’s happening.
- Pay attention to your language. Are you making disempowering statements? By listening to your language (that includes your thoughts too!), you’ll be cued in to the orientation of your mindset -- away-from or toward. It might seem like a small thing, but it matters. Your focus needs to be on the positive if you want more good things in your life.
- Hang out with people whose goals are aligned with yours. If you’re spending lots of time with away-from-motivated people, you’ll easily get sucked back into that negative mentality. Keep your environment positive.
- Be patient with yourself. Replacing old neural patterns with new ones takes time.
- Do something daily that you’re proud of, no matter how small.
- Love yourself through the change process. Celebrate your small wins. They’re important in building your momentum and building a foundation for bigger goals. So celebrate those achievements.
The bottom line is that the desire for change has to be greater than the allure of staying in what is comfortable. You can do it by loving yourself, knowing you’re worth it, and believing in yourself enough to get it done.
Thanks for listening!
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Links from today’s episode:
- Episode 4 -- Toward and away-from motivation
- Episode 22 -- Using Language to Achieve Desired Outcomes
- Episode 31 -- The Narrow Road to Achieving Excellence
- Wayne Dyer
- Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale
- Tony Robbins
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