In the New Year it seems like everyone makes resolutions; lose weight, stop smoking, eat healthier, spend more time with family etc..... Then what happens, one day you don't feel like going to the gym or you just have to have that doughnut that someone brought into the office. You begin to slowly slide back into old patterns and before you know it you say to yourself, "The hell with this, I will quit next year." Thus, the spiral continues..
Here is the thing, I do not believe in making resolutions. That is not to say I don't believe in making changes, I do, or I would not be working in the behavioral health field. However, the danger in making resolutions is that they do not really have any substance. They often are simply statements without any plan on how to follow through. Change, real change, requires planned steps on how to make the change, putting supports in place, and plans if you slip so you do not completely give up.
Change requires passion. Passion creates the motivation that drives us to do whatever or wherever we a trying to go or achieve. So lets say someone decides to quit smoking because their wife/husband/doctor tells them they should. If their heart is not really into it there is a strong chance that they will not succeed in this endeavor. However, if someone decides to quit smoking because it effects their breathing when they do an activity that they love there is a stronger likely hood that this individual will follow through with their goal. That is not to say that they might slip or slide backwards at times, but they are more likely to have a better outcome.
So what are you passionate about? Is there some dream you want to accomplish? Do you want a career change? Do you desire to be healthier? Consider it. Is it feasible? Is there a likely chance that you can achieve your desire or goal? If so, take a small step, create a short term goal. It might be that you need to do some research so research it. Then make some more tiny steps. Most of the time is a good idea to have an approximate time frame to complete your steps. Additionally, it is beneficial to map out possible barriers to your progress in order to prepare for set backs. If you do have a set back do not let it waver your motivation. Life is unpredictable at times and sometimes we have to adjust our dreams and goals. Have supports in place and remind yourself why you want to accomplish your goal.
One of my present goals is to travel more. Recently, I have spent most of my time raising my daughter and focusing on my career, and of course keeping a roof over our heads. However, my daughter is now a young woman heading for college in the fall of this year and I am currently satisfied with my career. The one thing I have thought about but not made any steps towards is traveling. My first destination is Scotland. Like most others I live paycheck to paycheck, so I have to do some planning. I am currently working on getting all my monthly payments paid ahead of time so I have some extra money to put away. Next, I will take the bonuses I get and put a portion of that aside. I have a tentative schedule of late spring to actually go on the trip. So I am looking for package deals on the internet for the end of May early June. I would like to do this as a graduation present for my daughter and a birthday gift for myself. If something happens between now and April where I find I cannot pay for the trip then I will adjust my schedule. My point is that I want to make this happen and pending any emergencies I plan on trying to achieve my goal.
The one thing I have discovered this past year is life is short and change is eminent. I have always been a creature of habit and stepping out of my comfort zone is scary.
However, if you don't take the step you may never know what wonderful opportunities you might miss!
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