The Secret Ingredient

The Secret Ingredient ~ Preparation

The Secret Ingredient
The Secret Ingredient ~ Preparation
The Secret Ingredient ~ Preparation

Tuesday, 15 May 2012 09:00

If you’re ready to make a change in your life and be successful at achieving it, then you need to prepare. In fact, this is why so many New Year’s resolutions never make it all the way to the finish line.

If you can prepare for change, you’re more likely to be able to make it. Here’s a simple way to prepare for change.

1. Name it.

Get as specific as possible with what you’re looking to change. I want to lose weight isn’t as powerful as I want to lose 20 pounds.

2. Get support.

It’s hard to make change by yourself; otherwise, you would have done it already. Let your friends and family know you’re making some changes. Join a group, take a class, or work one-on-one with a coach, trainer, therapist, or organizer. Planning for support is smart thing. You’ll learn new tools to get you where you want to be. Plus, when you feel like giving up, you will have someone there to remind you of the finish line.

3. Get real.

List out all the obstacles that might come up while you start to make changes. Then apply the If, Then rule. If my goal is to lose 20 pounds and my obstacles are my terrible sweet-tooth, not wanting to go to the gym, lack of time to cook healthy food, then I could say:

  • If I get a craving for sweets, I’ll have fruit first.
  • If I don’t want to go the gym, I’ll go for a brisk walk for 45 minutes.
  • If I don’t have time to cook, I’ll choose healthy options for eating out.

Stuff comes up. Know that obstacles will arise and that you’re equipped with a Plan B.

4. Get equipped.

What else do you need to begin? Do you have the tools necessary for the journey? If you don’t know what you might need, either look to someone who has done it already or do a little research. It’s most likely not something difficult but it does require some thoughtfulness. Do you need a recipe book? New workout clothes? A label maker to organize your office? What is it?

5. Decide when.

Choose a begin date and a date to re-evaluate how far you’ve come. It’s important to choose your launch date versus stumbling into it, and on the other side, to realize that it’s not forever. You’ll want to measure your success (or procrastination) in spurts and see if you still have the tools you need to make the journey.
It’s very possible to change on our own. But at some point, a teacher, guide, mentor, coach, therapist, or peer can be a very helpful tool on the path from who you are to who you are ready to become.

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