Winter can feel like a time to hibernate and many of us are only motivated to rush home in the evening and curl up in the warm. The food we want to consume at this time of the year is often stodgy, sweet and heavy. Not the kind that nourishes us, makes us feel light and healthy and energises us as we go about our daily routines. All things considered, January doesn’t seem like the right time for renewal.
But now it’s Spring, at least, according to the calendar, Easter has passed with it’s heaps of chocolate and family time and finally, we can all begin to look forward to longer and more productive days to come. After months of darkness and cold weather we can begin to dream of longer evenings and brighter mornings. When the warmer weather comes along it can begin to feel like we want to make lots of changes to our lives. We get more enthusiastic about what we want to do next and this can take many forms. Sometimes we swear we will never touch chocolate, or wine or chips ever again or we tell everyone we meet that we are going to get up an hour earlier every morning and head to the gym or out for a power walk or a run. We see this vision of our very best self. But sometimes what actually happens can be very different indeed. Maybe the weather doesn’t get better and that sunshine and warmth that we’ve been imagining doesn’t actually materialise.
Maybe it’s time to focus on those changes and checking that they are realistic and properly planned out. If our regular walk or run depends on warm weather and the total absence of rain, how likely is it that we’ll stick to this particular plan? If we’re only going to stick to a lighter and healthier eating plan when it’s warm and sunny, maybe it’s not a sustainable and long-term plan. Wouldn’t it be great if we added in some new steps that would support us to make those changes?
- Set a specific and realistic goal – and don’t forget to specify! if past experience tells you that you are never going to get up at six to go for that run, why not decide to plan something that you really will do like a regular lunch-time walk on three days of the week and a longer walk at the weekend?
- Make a realistic plan- this can really help you to know what you are reaching for and will let you know when you’ve achieved it. The more thorough and thought out the plan, the better your chance of success.
- Prepare yourself for setbacks and recognise that these happen to everyone and that making mistakes is part of the bigger picture for everyone. Stop criticising yourself!
A favourite Aunt of mine was fond of quoting a poem by Jenny Joseph which starts ‘When I’m an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me….’ Is your resolution or your long term plan something that you’ll achieve when more years have gone by or... is now the time?
To discuss how hypnotherapy and coaching with NLP can support you to reach those goals and achieve your dreams, contact Francine
Don’t agonise… orrganise!