Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

John C. Maxwell

Change can sometimes be an avenue of gross happiness such as moving to a new neighbourhood or taking on a new job or internship you’ve looked forward to for years. It could also be the challenge of living a healthy life such as taking on a diet or an exercise plan. However, other times unforeseen circumstances cause us to make changes we’re not enthusiastic about and things begin to feel rather dull and repetitive. Changing your life in six months can seem like a lifetime away. Especially when you think about how long a six month period is however, honing aspects of the way you chase and approach your goals is a good place to start. Also, the time would pass anyway so why not get started with it. There’s really nothing to lose. With that said, here’s how to make changes to your life and accommodate their repercussions.

• Define your goals

Have you ever written down the goals you want to achieve? Now this may sound like a very obvious first step but by writing down your own goals, visualising them becomes easier and thus you’re more likely to retain and remember why you’re doing something. You’re constantly reminded what’s important to you. Now, it’s not possible to always have a pen and paper lying around but it’s important to always be resourceful with whatever you have so you could open up notes in your device and write down what exactly it is that you want. First begin with that crucial goal that gives you butterflies. This goal should be the biggest thing that sticks out in your mind. For example, if you are drowning in debt and want to do something about your current situation you may write three core steps such as get a job, budget and avoid eating out. These on their own sound very challenging and as though they may take a lot of time, money and effort to achieve. It’s essential to break them down a bit further. For get a job, you may make sub bullets such as check the graphic catalogue for vacant job portfolios, ask a few trusted friends if they are aware of any job vacancies or visit a few departmental stores to find out if they need an extra hand. Now write a few steps about how you have to get there. Start with three steps. Make sure that these even smaller goals are the absolute tiniest steps that you can start as soon as possible. This may assist your brain to visualise the steps as attainable rather than picturing them as improbable. You will notice that when you break your ultimate goal down into pieces, it gives you a launch board for you to begin.

• Start small and be forgiving of your shortcomings

“This is the time that it’ll be different. I’m going to do it perfectly.” If you find yourself striving for perfection, telling yourself this can sometimes be a detriment to your success even before you start. If you’ve ever started a new year’s resolution on this note before then I’m sure we can both agree it’s especially difficult showing up every single day up until about the 21st day when it becomes relatively easier. Sometimes we’re left to feel as though if you fall through with your promise then the entire thing is ruined. Maybe you’re starting a new diet yet you slip up once and figure that you may as well throw the whole thing away. Sticking to a plan doesn’t mean doing the plan perfectly each time. Knowing your own limits and what you’re likely and not likely to do can help you decide for yourself. Always try to be more understanding of yourself in the same way you would understand a family member or friend. Don’t feel dissatisfied that you weren’t able to follow your goals, progress is progress. Be gentle with yourself. 

• Celebrate your growth

All success that you make should be celebrated right. Designate a specific day to review your progress, it’d help you reflect on the progress you’ve made. Sometimes as a result of our busy schedule we forget to look back on how far we have come as individuals. We’re probably living the dreams, wishes and goals we’ve prayed so hard for but unfortunately our insatiable appetite as humans is so overbearing that we trivialise our goals once attained. Truth is everyone sets goals devoid of platitudes. Otherwise you run the risk of saying nothing and doing nothing.

When you acknowledge your progress you will notice your daily or weekly tasks are turning into routines and that you’ve made a visible change. The mistakes that you made initially would also tend to dwindle and you’ll feel that you may be ready for more challenges. By tricking your brain into thinking very difficult tasks are part of your everyday life, you are actively increasing the amount of change that you can introduce into your life. You may find that you’re able to workout for an hour instead of the thirty minutes you promised yourself. If you notice that it’s something that you’re able to keep up, then relish in your success. On the flip side if you find yourself skipping daily habits every so often, analyse why they aren’t quite working. Be honest with yourself; is it too boring? Too hard? You don’t understand it or just don’t have time? 

The answers will help you to adjust these goals to make them better for you. Once the six month period has passed, you will notice that instead of having only a few weeks or months of rigorous progress only for it to stop short in disappointment, you’re making steady progress to a goal that you formulated, nurtured and worked for all by yourself. 

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What are some of your goals that you’re going to be working towards the rest of the year? Feel free to leave a comment down below with your thoughts, experiences or suggestions. If you found this blog post helpful be sure to hit the like button and share it with others who need to hear this. Love you so much if you made it all the way here🤗, enjoy your weekend!❤️🌤