It’s hard to believe that spring is right around the corner! By this time, resolutions and goals for the new year feel far behind us. However, whether you have already made progress on your New Year’s resolutions or find yourself stuck and giving up, this is no doubt a great time for self-reflection and growth. One of the most intimidating aspects of goal setting is the fear of failure, so consequently we just don’t set any goals. The next year we find ourselves in the same place we were the year before. Maybe you’ve already found yourself struggling to hold on to the momentum of new year energy. Personal growth is simple, but it is not easy. It takes an intentional mindset towards the goal at hand to move us in the directions we want to go.
Imagine, if you will, that your goals are a table setting. If you’re intending to eat soup for dinner would you set the table with plates and forks? Of course not, that would create a mess and make it very difficult to eat your soup. This is often how we approach our goals though. Our goal may be to lose weight, however; we’ve not reset the table to support that goal. Or maybe we have, but we haven’t taken the bowl of candy out of the middle. Make sense? Another example is a goal to be more organized. How is your table currently set that is not contributing to your feeling of being organized? What needs to come off the table? What needs to be put on?
Now that you’ve set your table; created your plan, it’s time to live into it. Break the larger goal down into smaller goals. I’d like to organize my entire home by the end of the year. I will start with the guest bedroom. Tell someone about your plan and update them as you reach milestones. Give yourself permission to make a change. This one may sound silly, but often times we don’t realize how our self-talk defeats us! Your words matter! Be mindful of how you’re talking to yourself and choose to be a cheerleader not a defeater. Celebrate the small victories and keep your eye focused on the goal! You’ve got this!!
Written By Laura Meadow, LMFT