As we enter the new year there may be things that you want to change. When we recognise something we want to change there is often the desire that change happens quickly or even instantly. This is why we often reach for quick-fix solutions. A pill that will cure what ales you. A snap decision that will change your life drastically. These quick solutions rarely last and if they do the outcomes are often not what we hoped for. It takes time to achieve success.
In my coaching practice, I don’t have a template or a one-size-fits-all approach to helping people change. I do, however, start by measuring where a client is now which helps clarify where they want to get to. From there it is a question of what needs to change. What do you need to stop doing? What new behaviours do you require to achieve your goals?
What often stands in the way of the change we want or the goals we desire, are roadblocks of our own making. It is our fears that create resistance and our beliefs that limit our potential. One step in achieving a goal and the change you seek this year is clarifying what fears and beliefs are standing in your way.
Each of us defines success differently but often the success we seek in our careers, relationships and lifestyles, is based on the habits we establish in our lives. These are habits of behaviour and of thought. If you want to run a marathon you will need to establish new physical habits as well as improve your mental resilience. With anything you want to achieve start by defining the behaviours that are required or will support your success.
Internalising any new habit requires repetition. Start with one or just a few habits that you want to integrate. Ideally, you will either replace an old habit that is unwanted or use existing routines to trigger the new behaviours you want. If you want to add a behaviour at the start of your day and brush your teeth or drink coffee every morning, link the new behaviour you want with those existing habits if possible.
The most important ingredients are consistency and time. The reason success is created over time is that it takes years to develop the skills and routines that lead to success. This is important to remember as you look for change and more success in the new year.
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