“Believe in what you set out to do. Follow your north star.” – Brit Morin
How many times have you said to yourself at new years “right, this is it, this is the year that things are going to change,” then come December you’re thinking to yourself, “why didn’t I stick to those plans I made in January?”
Change doesn’t come easy, it takes a lot of discipline, courage, self belief and persistence.
We’ve all heard the saying “the only certainty in life is uncertainty” and sometimes what stops us from changing is the fear of the unknown and the dreaded words ‘what if’.
Whether it’s a change to lose weight or a change to take your business to the next level it can never hurt to give it a go.
Starting out is the easy part. In the beginning you are so motivated and focused – keeping at it is the struggle. As soon as an obstacle arises the brakes are slammed on and the change slips away. Then you’re sat dumbfounded wondering what the hell happened.
Dig deep
It is important before you even start to sit down and figure out the things you will have to overcome along the way.
Really dig deep and figure out what has stopped you in the past, be they emotional barriers or physical barriers, and come up with ways to overcome them so you don’t lose track of your goals.
There will always be unexpected hurdles along the way, but chances are the strategies you’ve put in place for the foreseen obstacles will be adaptable for any challenge that comes your way.
Be ready
In an article titled ‘The No.1 reason we struggle with change,’ in the Huffington post, they say “change in and of itself is not hard to deal with. It’s our readiness for it, or perhaps even more importantly our lack thereof, that truly makes the difference. Simply put, change is only hard for the unready.”
Make sure you prepare yourself for the change. It’s great that you want it but when it happens are you ready for it?
It is vital to have your plan of attack thought out right down to the very last detail. The worst thing to happen would be, being successful in making a change, then it falling to pieces because you couldn’t handle it at the other end.
The break through
We are our own worst enemies. Once you can come overcome the mind games you play with yourself and truly believe that you have the capabilities don’t look back.
You’ve already achieved what so many fail to do, so give yourself a pat on the back. It’s not an easy road, but it’s all about knowing your triggers and consciously being aware that you will struggle at times and that will get you through.
With that in mind you can achieve any change you want to. Just remember, in the words of novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, “the ladder of success is best climbed by standing on the rungs of opportunity,” so take the opportunity this New Year to make the change and don’t stop climbing until you’ve made it.
By Natalia Rietveld
