“Your success and happiness lie in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”
– Helen Keller.
Have you ever set a goal and found that after a short while, your commitment to your goal just peters out? Could it be because your inner or outer resolve is being challenged? A possible solution to this ongoing conundrum could be to simply CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED.
There are probably many different approaches, but the key is customizing the one that fits you and the situation by creating an environment that will encourage you to persevere and feel good about your endeavours. One that has strategies in place for those times when you want to just give up because…. You might feel too tired, or too cold or too hot or just this once won’t hurt, or I just don’t feel like it, etc. This is our internal dialogue, making excuses to not move out of our comfy zone.
We can have the best plan mapped out to accomplish our goals, we can even go as far as planning that Diet Menu, paying for a Gym Subscription, opening a Savings Account to accrue money for buying a house, and what type of self-care one needs to do for oneself, yet still lose momentum along the way.
So how does one create an environment tailored to one’s individual needs once the plan is made? Firstly, you need to ask yourself what patterns you have that talk you out of being committed to consistently following through. (Internal Dialogue.) How can I back myself to create a different dialogue that backs the change I am choosing?
You could focus on what and why you want to commit to this goal. Watch out for how you phrase your words. Saying “I am going to give something up” will trigger a response in the brain (intellect) that will stimulate a fear of missing out, and that in turn will challenge your willpower big time. Using the words “I choose to stop or change or create because…” helps the brain(intellect) set new patterns that work for us.
What do I need to add to my environment physically to back myself? Are there temptations I need to avoid or remove? Are there areas like setting a specific time or place where one isn’t going to be disturbed (like getting up a half hour earlier than the rest of the household, setting aside a special place to work in, etc)
In the evening, take the time to celebrate your successes, big and small, in moving forward with your resolution. If you have a setback, don’t dwell on it, just reset your intention. Decide how you want to feel tomorrow. Take the time to imagine yourself feeling good because you have already accomplished your goal.
By creating an environment that backs your inner and outer resolve, you nurture your happiness and joy as you journey on.
