How do you make a BIG change?

by: Cheryl Betten

“Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s still time to change the road you’re on.”― Led Zeppelin

There are lots of ways to make big changes quick. You could chop your hair off and dye it purple or you could quit your job and move to another country. I think we can agree both pretty severe, life-altering changes. But what about the kind of big change that cannot be made quickly with a pair of scissors or a plane ride? What about the type of changes that require hard work – like losing weight, quitting any bad habit, or getting an education (just to name a few)? These things are not going to happen overnight. They are going to take a sustained commitment that might span months or even years. Think about these tips:

 

1. Make up your mind – Nothing is going to happen until you really make up your mind to change the status quo. You can fill your shopping cart with bean sprouts and tofu, you can throw your cigarettes in the trash, and you can download the application for next semester, but until you are solid in your convictions of where you want to go, it ain’t gonna happen. So spend some time with your story – you know the one that says you will never weigh 125 pounds, you will never be healthy, you will never, etc. etc. and start writing a new one that gets you where you want to go.
2. Form your tribe – I don’t know all the surest ways to success, but I know a way you will definitely not achieve your goals and that is to surround yourself with a bunch of negative Nancy’s. Find people who want you to succeed, who have maybe been where you are right now – go find those positive souls who are going to be your biggest cheerleaders.
3. Get clear on your goal – So you have changed your mind, you’ve got a tribe, but how will you know you’ve gotten where you want to be? Goal setting – it separates the achievers from the good intended. Write it down and put it everywhere – on the fridge, on your computer, on the bathroom mirror – put that bad-boy everywhere. Maybe you are a little iffy on that whole law of attraction stuff, but there is something about continually visualizing where you want to be. Try it.
4. Make your roadmap – With your written goal in hand – now break it down in small pieces and make your roadmap. How overwhelming is it to be at the beginning of your educational process? Or staring at a scale that is many, many numbers away from where you want to be? Ugh…it is the worst! So, play some mental gymnastics to help the process along. Maybe this week your goal is to research and choose a college or a fitness plan, next week you pick it, the following week you register….you get the idea. Don’t make it feel like Mount Everest – even those high-achieving peeps make base camps along the way.
5. Reward yourself for victories big and small – You’ve got to figure out what motivates you here, but maybe everyday that you do make the right choices, a dollar goes in the jar – and at the end of a month you have enough for a pedicure or a new shirt. Make it fun and make sure it is a reward you have the resources to give yourself! Develop a reward strategy so that you actually want to achieve your goals!

Maybe this way of looking at things works for you – yay you! If it doesn’t, I bet ,that just maybe, someone else out there has a way of looking at big change that sits better with you, so go find that.   What I can tell you, from experience, is that big change is always possible – it is never too late. You just start from where you are and moment by moment start moving in the direction of your goals. Safe journey on the road yogis! Namaste.

 

Balanced Planet Yoga is for the Seekers. It’s for the soul searchers, the life lovers, the peace givers.  Located in The Shoppes at Elmwood in Marlton, New Jersey, BPY offers a variety of yoga classes for all levels.  Open seven days a week with beautiful eco-friendly facilities, come share in a community that shares through you. Gain Balance. Give Back. Get Bliss.  For more information visit www.BalancedPlanetYoga.com.