Wellbeing

Reaching your goals

I know what my resolutions should be. How do I find the strength to see them through? Eve Menezes Cunningham explains…

I know what my resolutions should be. How do I find the strength to see them through? Eve Menezes Cunningham explains…

Urghh. ‘Shoulds’ are typically the opposite of motivational and energising. No wonder you’re feeling drained. And yet, maybe there’s a part of you that genuinely wants to exercise more, eat more healthily, smoke and drink less? If so, you can make decisions about your own lifestyle and when you own them, you’ll naturally find the energy and strength to see them through.

After detangling your ‘shoulds’ how would you describe your biggest goal (even the word resolution can be draining if you don’t have a history of seeing them through) for 2015?

How might you phrase it in a way that feels more inspiring? You know yourself best but maybe ‘find a sport/activity I love and can commit to, boosting my overall fitness, flexibility, health and wellbeing as well as being fun’ is more energising than ‘exercise more’. Play with the phrase for yourself until you have something that genuinely motivates you and lifts your spirits.

Consider potential obstacles. There may be a part of you that, with the best possible intentions (even when it doesn’t seem that way) is scared about what such changes might mean. How might you reassure this scared part of yourself?

How willing are you to experiment with sports and activities until you find something you do love? What kind of impact will this have on the rest of your life? Will your loved ones and colleagues benefit? May some feel resentful? If you anticipate the consequences in advance you will be able to support yourself better.

Who and what can help you in reaching this goal? Think about how you might reach out and ask for that support in advance.

How might you start as small as possible so you’re not psyching yourself out with overwhelming leaps towards your goal? The life coach Martha Beck talks about ‘turtle steps’. These are smaller than baby steps and are so easy, they practically take themselves. What might that mean for your goal?

Article by

Eve Menezes Cunningham

Article by

Eve Menezes Cunningham