How to get excited about making a change...and do it successfully!

[If you’d rather have me read this to you, click here!]

It’s that time of the year again, when people talk about their New Year’s resolutions and ALL the things they’d love to create for themselves.

It’s a time to dream! To imagine a “better” version of yourself. To tap into what would make YOU happy.

Whether it’s recommitting to your barre class three times a week, FINALLY writing that book or posting your profile on a dating app, there can be a lot of hope and optimism as we share our intention, imagine how great it'll feel once we’ve accomplished it and then cheers to making it happen...for REAL this time.

It’s so rare for us to pinpoint exactly what we’d like to change, let alone come up with ideas for seeing it through.

We’re normally so focused on the day at hand that we don’t think about tomorrow.

Or, we feel anxious and overwhelmed by the thought of doing something different, and thereby push away the idea of something new for another day. Which can turn into months, or even years.

But since you’re ALREADY in a resolution-setting frame of mind, why not set yourself up for success, right now?

Why not take a moment to reflect on change that’s already happened for you, and extract the wisdom from it?

Doing this can be easy and interesting, and it can help you do three things.

1 - It confirms that successful change IS possible. 

If you're feeling stuck and a bit lost right now, looking back to something you’ve already accomplished shows you that you CAN set a goal and see it through to completion. 

That you’re capable of starting something from scratch that brings more joy and fulfillment into your life. That wanting something doesn’t have to be just a pipe dream, or a fantasy that will never come true. 

You’ve done it before and you can do it again.

2 - It reminds you that you are resilient.

If the change that comes to your mind was really challenging, use this experience as proof that you CAN survive a transition. That you’re able to bounce back and create a new normal. That worst-case scenario, once the dust has settled you can even feel GOOD again. 

It’s OK for you to experience something different, and now you know that you can handle it.

3 - It reveals that maintaining the status quo doesn’t always guarantee security.

Let’s say that you fear change and assume that continuing with what you’re doing will keep you safe. That as long as YOU stay the same, everything else will too. 

And hey, you’d feel more confident with that stability than with having to do something unfamiliar so why change course?

The truth is that life is ever-evolving. There are SO many factors involved in every situation—so many moving pieces and other people’s opinions, many of which are out of our control. Because of this, change in YOUR life can be caused by external circumstances unrelated to you.

This means that staying the same doesn’t promise you the comfort that you crave.

If you have a whim to act on something and don’t, you’re actually GIVING UP your security by putting it into the hands of fate (so to speak).

It means that maintaining the status quo isn’t always in your control, no matter how much you wish it was.

Making change when you feel called to do so, empowers you and puts your personal comfort and security into your own hands.

With all that said. Take a few minutes during this time in between years (and decades!) to remember at least three periods of change during this past year.

What do they teach you? And how can you use those lessons when creating your resolutions?

Wishing you a happy, successful and healthy new year!