Tips for making lasting changes

Life is full of change. It’s inevitable. Sometimes the best thing to do is let go and be open to things unfolding the way they do.

There are also times when we need to initiate and make changes – either because we are so fed up of things being a certain way that the only way is to do something else, or because we have no other option.

Making a change when it comes from within us can be hard and require a lot of inner resources, so having a few tools in place can help to ensure you stay on track and make lasting change.

Sometimes friends and people you love find it hard to accept the changes you are making, so may not be as supportive. When you are making a change, really see who supports you and perhaps don’t see as much of the people who don’t, even if it’s just for a while. You may find support online in a forum with people going through a similar change. Or you may even want to work with a trained professional as they can help with accountability as well as support and keeping you on track.

Get really clear on your ‘why’. The reason behind why you are aiming for your particular goal.

If you can, have something really meaningful and compelling to you as your why as this will help keep you motivated - e.g. it could be for your children, it could be to deal with a health condition, or perhaps to feel a certain way. Then make sure to re-visit and reflect on your ‘why’ as often as you need, daily or weekly at least - so your reasons stay top of mind and keep you motivated. Especially on those days when you just want to pack it all in.

It’s so easy to want to make huge changes and then expect them to happen overnight. This rarely happens in my experience, and you end up ditching whatever you are trying to do before you’ve even properly begun.

Keep it simple – change is big enough in itself, so don’t try to change everything in your life at once or you’ll end up overwhelmed. Commit to something small and then add to it once it becomes more natural for you.

Realise you may have days where things don’t go to plan and that is okay! You don’t have to be perfect. Just go back to remembering your ‘why’ and get back on track as soon as you can.

Reward yourself when you reach a goal with things such as a massage, tickets to a show or event, a holiday – something that you enjoy. Likewise when you set a new goal, or even to help you stick to something new, you could have a reward set in advance to help motivate you.

Need some more self-care in your life? You can join my next free self-care challenge here.

If you would like support around your wellbeing in any way, please book in a free 30 minute call with me here and let’s chat to see how I can best support you.

Photo by Zachary Domes on Unsplash