Blog

Five for Friday – Keep Going!

Well, it’s mid February and if you’re like me, it’s a great time to check in on those goals and plans we made back in January, just to make sure we are on course and bring a little encouragement to one another too. 

Whether you’ve smashed it, wavering a bit, or fell off the resolution highway on January 2nd, we’ve got some freebies, tips, and inspiration to keep you going. 🙂

 

Enjoy the process!

A study recently suggested that those that visualized the end-goal of their desires tended to be less successful in achieving it. People were more successful when they visualized the process it takes to achieve that goal instead. If you grimace at the process, then it might be helpful to to re-orient your goal to focus on creating a process that is enjoyable to do. 

If we do not savor the process and the steps along the way in the journey, we will never feel satisfied and inevitably give up. 

So, look for ways to spice up your journey and fall in love with every piece of it…whether it’s emails, meeting with clients, food prep, decluttering, new exercises, research, marketing, writing, and all the bits and bobs. We can learn to love not only the fruits of our labor, but the labor itself. 

 

Break it down!

We all tend to complicate things from time to time and that can be especially true of our goals. I can be pretty good at setting a pretty grandiose goal and then feeling discouraged when I don’t reach it. 

If we have bitten off a bit more than we can chew with our goals we have set, just scale it down and get back to the basics. Focus on those essential steps while you work on a new approach and game plan. It’s important to focus on the 24 hours in front of us, rather than weeks, months, and year ahead.

I guess there’s a reason the tortoise wins the race…those small, consistent, simple, attainable steps are going to allow us to go further. 

One way to keep track of those habits and goals you are developing is by using a habit tracker. We’ve included a daily habit tracker and a monthly habit tracker to help you stay the course. 

Also, this is a good time to hit pause and re-evaluate your goal(s). Has your goal changed? Do you want to continue in this direction or do you need to give yourself permission to stop doing it or change focus? 

If there is a goal or task that is difficult to accomplish, it might be a time block or an emotional block, and it’s good to step back and figure out what that means. Take time to rest, refuel, step away, fresh perspective, and clear as many distractions as possible (I know…much easier said than done, but worth trying). 🙂

 

Get brainy!

It’s hard not to procrastinate when your favorite activities distract you from crucial work. But, what if you mix work and pleasure? For instance, if you enjoy watching a certain show, but you know it keeps you from dishes, your workout, etc, than combine those activities to make them more enjoyable. The partnering of the activities you want to do with those you need to do is called temptation bundling. It works by allowing temptations to be indulged at the same time as behaviors or tasks that need to be done, so the essentials you need to do then become more enticing. The package deal of temptation bundling can help you stop procrastination in its tracks. 

Habit stacking, (also called habit chaining), relies on using old habits to support new ones. This concept relies on a phenomenon in the brain called synoptic pruning. It works by allowing small incremental shifts in your daily routine to then allow for more manageable additions to stack on your brain’s well-established paths. Soon, your brain is using its trusted synaptic pathways to support your growth and development and the struggle to begin a new routine is a thing of the past. 

For an example in your daily life, we can look at drinking more water. For instance, let’s say you have a habit of taking a 10-minute break each hour from your desk at work. Perhaps you stand up, stretch, and use the restroom. If your goal is working to stay hydrated, then consider drinking a glass of water each time you head back to your desk. Adding a drink of water to your routine completes a new link to your chain of habits. It won’t be long then until drinking water regularly becomes second nature and a part of your hourly routine. Stacking new goals on top of existing habits supports their development and makes them easier to remember. 

 

Attitude of gratitude

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is crucial in staying on track with our goals and dreams for 2022. Giving thanks to God for what He has seen us through, guided us on, and celebrating those milestones are key. 

When it’s a tough week, focus on those things that you love or even like about the process(es) you are working on in your life, whether they be professionally or personally. Going on that God-hunt to acknowledge all he’s done will help to change our perspective, and will also help to motivate our continuation of the journey. 

In those times that we are feeling less passionate, it is an easy trap to start comparing ourselves with others, but comparison just adds to the mental fire and can prevent us from growing and sharing. 

You have something unique to share, no matter what stage you are in. Even if you feel you could do better, start sharing anyway, because it gets you back into the journey and could be a real source of encouragement for someone else. You can inspire others at all different stages of the journey and you don’t have to wait until the end goal. 

 

Know your worth!

No matter what stage of the process you are in, know your worth! Your worth is not determined by what you have accomplished or will accomplish, but by the fact that you are God’s child and He loves you with a love that we will never be able to comprehend this side of heaven.

You are loved (Jeremiah 31:3), forgiven (1 John 1:9), accepted (Romans 15:7), chosen (John 15:16), redeemed (Galatians 3:13), precious (Isaiah 43:4), strong (Isaiah 40:31), unique (Psalm 139:13), created for a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11), important (1 Peter 2:9), protected (Psalm 121:3), and not alone (Matthew 28:20). Isn’t that incredible news? Soak it up and let it sink in. 

 

Have an amazing weekend and keep going! We are grateful for you!

 

Love,

Rachel