A change begins with awareness of what you want to change. The second step is to determine whether that change is possible or not. If it is not possible; you have another option of changing your perception of what you wanted to change. I will be discussing that second option next week. If you decide that the change is possible; the third step is to decide what you really want. Travelling through life without a vision is like trying to find your way through the desert without a compass.
I want to ask you this: “Do you know what you really want or do you just know what you don’t want? Focusing your attention solely towards what you don’t want will only bring more of the same into your life. For a change to occur, your focus needs to shift from what you don’t want to what you do want, and that is what creating a vision is all about.
There may be many reasons as to why we choose not to make positive changes in our lives. One might be that you see the change too great to achieve, and just the thought of starting the process overwhelms you.
If you want to lose 30kg of weight and focus on the whole 30kg, you are unlikely to ever take the first step. Whereas, if you focus on the first kg, and only on losing that one kg, your feelings towards losing weight change. Apply the same concept for any change you want to accomplish in your life. You need to break your big goal into small achievable goals, and then focus on those small goals you are working on. Sometimes we don’t know how to achieve certain changes or goals in our life and that is ok. Here, the important factor is to take that first step in the right direction that you know you are capable of.
Another reason for you to focus on short term goals is that it keeps you in the present.
There was a time in my life where I had a clear idea what I wanted, but I wasn’t focused on the present. I was so absorbed thinking and planning for my future; that I completely lost sight of what was happening in my life at that time. Instead of living, I was dreaming of a better future that would make me happy and fulfilled. The danger in that is that you don’t enjoy the journey towards your goal, and you lose on enjoying valuable moments you can create in the present. The process towards a change should be enjoyable every step of the way.
For this reason, I want to recommend the fourth step which is; creating a life right now that is slightly better than it was yesterday. Ask yourself what you can do right now to feel better? What kind of pleasure could add value to your life right now? Adding pleasure to your life, and adventure to your goals changes’ how you feel in the present. When you feel better, you become more proactive, more creative, and more motivated to take the necessary actions towards your goals.
The Journey of life doesn’t end before your life does, there is always something that you can improve or change. There are always goals to achieve and as long as you are breathing, you are learning. Embrace and appreciate that, and look at every single moment of your life as a new opportunity to learn and grow. Changing your life circumstances may be necessary for you to enjoy your life to its fullest, but changing your attitudes towards yourself, and your life in general is of greater value right now.
Author: Helga Bergsteinsdottir