The Happy and Prosperous Blog

In the last post we looked at reasons why we may be reluctant to change and factors which may hold us back. Today, let’s look at strategies we can use to help us make the shift.

So, to initiate change, we may need to start with small steps to build confidence and resources. Here are some recommendations:

• Bite the bullet - decide that you are going to make the changes
• Set your intention - every day, deliberately set an intention that you will make progress towards your goal
• Recognise the fear - and accept the fear but don’t let that stop you.
• Visualise the outcome you want. See it in your mind’s eye. Feel what it will be like when you have got to where you want to be
• Use affirmations - make statements in the present tense, e.g. I can over come the fears I have about making changes, I am making the changes I want in my life now. It is essential that these are positive and in the present. Do not say, I will make the change….This always places it in the future.
• Write a journal - write something, however brief, every day which documents what you have done and what you feel about the changes you are making
• Meditate - as well as inducing feelings of calm and relaxation, meditation can help us increase our awareness and can help us choose how we respond to situations. It can help us overcome our fears

A lot of this is about being conscious, being aware and keeping focussed. It’s about coming off auto-pilot and taking the controls for yourself. Have you heard this quote (don’t know who said it, sadly) ?

When you think the way you have always thought, you will act the way you have always acted and you will get what you have always got !

So true ! Without change, everything stagnates and becomes predictable. Continual repetition is bad for us psychologically. Change is healthy.

A Different Angle

There is a different way of approaching change. This method does not have a personal development goal in mind. It starts from the premise that change is good. It is change to break habits, avoid stagnation and to improve psychological health.

So, just start to do some things differently. Often when we behave differently we think differently. Start small. Small changes in one area often lead to other changes in a different area of life in order to keep things in balance. So don’t always go for a drink on a Friday night, go to the gym, start amateur dramatics, watch TV, put your left sock on before your right sock - anything to break the habits.

American psychiatrist Milton Erikson once said,

Change will lead to insight far more often that insight will lead to change.

So why not make some changes and see what insights you come up with.

Summary

It seems that psychological and emotional growth is a requirement for human beings - it is not an optional activity. Change is necessary but not always straightforward. It is useful to learn how to make changes in a gentle and effective way. The more we do it, the easier it gets !

Don’t forget this useful book.

Thanks for reading.

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