Reflecting on a meaningful topic for today’s blog, I thought about the many self-help books, columns, and blogs about how to improve, be a better person, or make your life work better, etc. There are countless articles on this general topic. But someone can have all the information and make no headway in changing their lives.
What elements need to be in place for someone to begin the effort to make a change? It seems to me, there is a foundation that needs to be in place, or the effort is futile. A foundation is helpful for changing habits like adding exercise, changing a diet, or cutting down on social media for example. Problems like addiction issues require much more intensive efforts over an extended time. Not that these elements of a foundation couldn’t be useful, but alone, are probably not enough.
Talking with a friend, she said that when she wants to make a change, for example, introduce a new exercise routine, she “sits down and thinks about it.” In other words, she gauges her level of desire to make a change, or how committed she is. You need to be fully committed to the work of making a change.
Next, how will you translate that commitment into the discipline of a regular routine? Where and when will you incorporate the change in your schedule? Is this plan realistic? In other words, can you maintain it? One thing that can help to maintain something new is reflecting on the reward that will accrue from instituting the change. My friend, incorporating a new exercise routine, knew that her back would stop hurting if she regularly did the set of exercises.
Finally, many people benefit from the support of others. Perhaps someone else is also embarked on making a change. You can buddy up. And, not to put in too much of a plug, a personal coach can be a support, too. When a snag or setback happens, and they do, support to understand what happened, and getting back on track is helpful.
Of course, self-help plans often include steps to achieve a change, but it can be helpful to understand what these foundational steps are aside from a specific program. When you understand the recipe for making a change, you can use it as it suits your own needs.