Why Change Is So Hard & How To Stop Giving Up.

How often have you set the intention to achieve a new goal; you've got all fired up and raring to get fit, lose weight or start a business, but before you’ve barely even begun something happens to cause you to give up and put it on the back-burner yet again?

All too often, we allow a life event or our limiting beliefs to get the better of us and rather than do a brief detour and get back on track, we choose to self-sabotage and give up instead.

We begin new habits, go for a daily run, eat clean or start saving etc. but a few weeks down the line we quickly start to lose focus and before we know it we realise that we’ve unconsciously slipped back to our old ways purely by default.

 

Lasting change goes deeper than just your daily actions; it’s in your chemistry. It’s not just your lack of willpower that makes it so hard to maintain, it’s actually how your brain is wired. But the good news is that you also have the power to rewire it too.

Cells replicate what was last given to them, so if they are used to receiving Cortisol due to our stress levels and negative way of living, then something will feel very ‘off’ to them if we start to send them Serotonin and Dopamine (the feel-good chemicals) that get released when we start to make positive changes instead. What they are used to, they crave more of, so it really is a physical battle in the early days.

Because change causes a physical reaction that is initially out of alignment with your norm, it can actually cause many negative physical symptoms to manifest too. Do you ever wonder why you sometimes get colds, headaches or feel quite poorly when you start to make big changes? This is often caused by the friction between the chemical changes going on within your brain as it learns to rewire itself. All to0 often this is the point when most people give up. They don’t feel great and it all feels too difficult, so they become quickly demotivated as a result.

 

When you realise this, you can understand why it is that if you stick to your new habits and routines, your cells will not only eventually begin to crave the feel-good chemicals associated with the change, but you’ll also feel better and it will eventually become more difficult to do the old habit as it becomes the one which is out of alignment, instead of  the new one.

So we have 2 choices; either put up with the uncomfortable physical and psychological effects associated with our resistance to chance, or put up with living a half-lived life, never growing into our fullest potential and a possible future of regret.

So now that we’ve got clear that whichever way you look at it, it’s going to be uncomfortable, here’s a few tips to make it a little easier...

 

1: Get super-clear on your vision.

Be really specific, get clear on the finer details, see it, hear it, touch it and above all else really FEEL into the emotions of living this vision and making it a reality.

Take time to feel into this vision at least once or twice a day in order to stay focused and begin to create your end goal.

 

2: Know your WHY.

Your ‘why’ is the driving factor that will keep you moving forward when things get tough and help you to get back up on your feet each time you fall. Check in with your goals, make sure you have really big ‘why’s’ that fill you with emotion. If they don’t, maybe consider that this may not be the right goal for you.

 

3:Create Milestones

Break the big goals down into a specific plan of action and create quarterly, monthly and weekly smaller goals. It’s far easier to stay on track if you don’t have to wait until you’ve climbed the entire of the mountain before you get a sense of achievement and success. Take the time to celebrate each milestone, this not only sends feel good chemicals to your brain which in turn, will have you striving for more, but it is also a great reminder that joy is to be had in the JOURNEY of life, not just in the end goal.

 

4:Develop new healthy habits.

Great success comes from a series of many smaller actions, practised consistently, whose effects become compounded over time. Drinking that extra glass of water, walking to the shops instead of driving, saving 1% of your income each month or getting up 30 minutes earlier to practice a positive morning routine may not make much difference in a day or a week, but over time the results compound exponentially.

Start to let go of unhealthy habits and introduce small daily habits which ultimately will create massive results in the long term.

 

5:Detox your environment.

Clear your clutter as this will only drain your energy. Create a positive space that will support your growth and leave you feeling relaxed and inspired.

Move away from, or limit time with negative people. Anyone who zaps your energy and doesn’t support your growth will only pull you down and keep you stuck. Go back to your vision, who is already in the place that you want to be? Who can support you to get there? Who challenges you to become the biggest, brightest version of yourself? Surround yourself with these people and you will grow faster than you can ever imagine.

 

Get support, hire a coach, find a mentor or buddy up with someone who’s a little further along a similar journey. By doing this, you have someone to hold you accountable, who believes in you in the moments when you struggle to believe in yourself, and who can help you create a path and avoid so many pitfalls because they’ve already taken a similar journey before you.

 

So accept that it’s not going to be easy. Know that it’ll be a struggle and feel far from great at times, but these feelings are only temporary and the reward can be a created life that fills you joy, good health, love and happiness.

If you’d like any support with making your own changes then please do reach out and connect. If you’re ready to stop settling for a life that is less than you deserve then I’d love to offer you a totally complimentary 90-minute coaching call to help you get crystal clear on your vision, create a plan of action and identify the blocks that may be holding you back.

Also, how would it feel to surround yourself with inspiring women and receive daily a daily dose of motivation to support you on your journey? Why not join my Facebook group too, we’d absolutely love to have you there.

 

With Love,

Geri x