Blog

How to Change

My work as a life coach and clinical psychologist is to help people make various changes in their life. Changes in any area of life. Maybe losing weight, improving a relationship, securing a new job, getting into graduate school, or experiencing an improved emotional and spiritual life.

After talking with thousands of people I’ve been an observer of who makes changes and who does not. What tends to be the framework that is foundational to change?

Cling To The Following

1. SMART Goal - Tons of books have been written about the vital importance of having a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. Read the following link about John Goddard and be absolutely inspired about goal setting then simply go online and buy a book on how to set goals. Click Here
2. External Accountability - We rarely make changes on our own. If our dream or plan is a ‘state secret’ and no one else knows the details then it’s bound to fail. It is often far easier to disappoint ourselves than to disappoint others. When other people know about our goal then we have the opportunity to receive encouragement along with a steady reality check to help loosen our grip on denial, laziness, or sometimes plain stupidity. If we don’t have a tribe of people to hold us accountable then the good news is that we won’t have to tell anyone that we failed in our quest for change.
3. Philosophy of Perseverance - When we pour energy, passion, and time into anything other than our goals we heap disrespect onto ourselves. We persevere not as a mindset or tool to make our goals happen but as an ongoing statement to self that we matter. We may have a particular philosophy regarding religion, politics, and culture. In addition we need a philosophy of perseverance - a belief that it’s unimaginable to give up. Listen to the following song. Let it be your anthem.

Joe DeBruin