Every person will experience highs and lows in their lifetime; however, often the lows can be harder to recover from. If you’re exiting a particularly challenging relationship or lifestyle phase of your life and are now struggling with how to achieve your long-term goals, then it’s good to get a plan in motion. In the same way that a business would put in strategic steps to make money or achieve milestones, creating a map of what you want to achieve will help you to make changesone step at a time.
Small steps
If you’re overcoming a challenging phase in your life, setting long-term goals might feel a little too daunting. Setting small, short-term goals is a good way of making incremental changes, without feeling completely overwhelmed. If you have a bigger goal you’re striving for, write down what you can do in the process towards that goal, and how you would achieve it. By doing this, you will pace your progress and give yourself a real fighting chance of reaching your final milestone without being dismayed by not being able to achieve it immediately.
Resolve any legal issues
If you’re reforming your life after a brush with the law, it can feel like a serious uphill battle. However, by getting the right legal help, you will be in a better position than if you tried to go it alone. For example, if you’re unsure of how to legally fight charges for selling drugs, but would like information and an experienced lawyer, then contacting a solicitor is the best way to go about this.
Acknowledge the fundamental issues
Sometimes, in order to change, we need to take a step away from ourselves and ask what the real problems at hand are. For example, this has been likened to wanting to lose weight and not acknowledging a problem with an unhealthy diet. It’s for this reason that it’s good to recognise triggers, and what can be done to solve them. Seeking therapy or a way of cultivating a mindful attitude can help you overcome unhelpful thought processes.
Reward yourself – don’t punish
Every time you reach a little milestone in your lifestyle change, remember to reward yourself. Even if your reward is a takeout coffee from down the road, or maybe even a short walk in the evening, remember to be kind to yourself. If you slip up or miss a milestone, do not punish yourself. Placing too much pressure on yourself or being overly-judgmental will not be productive to your personal growth. Acknowledge your mistake, assess why it happened, and move forward. If you need extra support in the future, be sure to ask for this.
When it comes to reforming yourself, it’s important to remember that no person is an island. It might be difficult to implement change, but that doesn’t make it impossible. If you need the help to support you, do try and ask for it. Having professionals and friends to guide you when things get tough could be invaluable to you.