Where are you going?

Often we imagine life changes as those big events – moving house, getting married, getting divorced – actually times that are associated with high stress levels.  And we can forget that small changes, done repeatedly can have huge impact too.  We sort of know this:  if you were inspired by watching the London Marathon and decided that you’ll run it next year, you know that your training programme will start certainly by the autumn, if not before.  Regular running every week will add up over weeks and months to being marathon-fit come next April.  And that’s why end goals are so helpful, they steer us to make small changes on a daily and weekly basis that can move us towards our desired destination. 

So, where are you going?  Right now, what are you doing on a daily and weekly basis that is taking you down a path – to where?  Do you like the answer?  Did you consciously choose that end point, or have you been drifting towards it without paying too much attention?  In which case, where would you like to go? 
 
For example, often as adults we get so focused on work and family and tend to ‘drift’ with our health and hobbies.  So we may have succeeded in gaining a promotion (by consistently performing well at work or studying for further qualifications) or perhaps had an exotic family holiday (by saving money each month).  At the same time, we may have put on weight in the last five years, or noticed that we’re less fit than we used to be when running for a bus or on the annual ski holiday.  Perhaps there are some golf clubs getting dusty at the back of a cupboard?

You can decide what you’d like to work on for the next several months (if your goal is too far away, it can seem unachievable so it’s best to have smaller milestone markers in between) and then work out how to make small changes that will get you there.  Tip:  once you’ve decided, tell other people about it, get them involved or make a date to celebrate the next milestone with them, it really helps to keep you focused and accountable.  At Vibrant World, to assist someone at the start their healing, I teach them a simple exercise to do for three minutes each day.  It’s such a small amount of time but it can have a big impact towards their results in care.  This principle applies to any and every area of life; the area I work with most is health and wellness so here are some pointers from me:

For example, if your goal was to increase fitness levels:
o Park the car further away and get walking.
o It's better to do a little bit of activity regularly, than a big activity as o a one-off.
o Break up long periods of sitting by getting up and moving around.
o Join a group or enlist a friend to do activity/exercise with you.
o Keep a chart.

Have you found great ways to introduce small changes into your everyday?  Let me know by email, I always want to learn more about what works for people.  Lastly, notice what you enjoy about the process of getting to where you want to go.  The more fun you have while you’re working towards your goal – the more fun you’ll have!