Moving Past Good Intentions

It has often been said if you want something different in life, then you need to do something different. According to Albert Einstein, the true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results! So what do you want to change in your life? Most of us really probably do want to make some changes in our lives. We have good intentions, but for one reason or another we keep putting things off. We keep procrastinating. In fact, the line I hear often from clients is, “I know I need to do so and so it’s just a matter of doing it.” I know I have even said that when it comes to that dirty word, “exercise”!

So why don’t you just start? The good news is that anything from exercise, to saving money, to changing your attitude can be accomplished when you make changes in bite-size proportions. How do you eat an elephant? One fork full at a time. If I want to lose weight, the best way to think about is to eat one fork less at a time. What am I willing to do without today? If I want to start a big exercise program, the best way to start is to think about small realistic goals. What am I willing to do? If I will only walk for 10 minutes two to three times a week, then that is great! I have at least begun and it’s more than I did last week. We need to give ourselves permission to start small and to start within our comfort range. Starting is the key factor here! Achieving small goals gives us incentive to reach for larger goals.

The second important thing to move us past good intentions is to realize that there is a “pot of gold”, so to speak, at the end of the rainbow. There is a reward for our efforts! The writer of Proverbs declares, “all hard work leads to a profit.” Any habit, good or bad can be formed in 21 days! I can consistently try something new for 21 days and I am on my way to forming a good habit! Practice does make perfect and repetition is the key to something becoming a habit. Doing it over and over convinces or trains our brains that this is okay behavior. If your habit is to be negative, why not try being positive for 21 days and see what happens?

Finally, it is always easier to have real measurable progress or change when we have someone to be accountable to. Get your friend or spouse involved. Better yet hire a life coach! When you have accountability, you stay focused, on track, and end up reaching your goals much quicker.
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Let me hear from you. Post your comments about what has worked for you in moving past good intentions!