In my decades of working as a nurse and midwife, I became fascinated by human behaviour. How could one patient who was facing a life-changing illness or injury respond or react so differently from another patient who was faced with the exact same fate?
I’ve learned so much in the last decade on what it is that makes people change, improve themselves and succeed. The reason I feel so confident about what I am going to teach you is because I’ve seen the incredible results clients get when they make the decision to step up and make change.
With all that said, there is another good reason you should listen to me — I am speaking from personal experience — I spent several years in a depressed state. I find it very difficult to express the depth of the pain I endured when I felt that low and I know for a fact that I will never go back to the bleakness that I endured every moment of every day for four solid years.
So whatever your current state or place in life, I want you to know that you can change, if you choose to do so.
Four Key Elements to Lasting Change
Most people get these four elements very discombobulated. However, when we understand these elements the magic truly starts to happen.
These four key elements are:
- Uncovering, acknowledging and defining what is wrong
- Seeing exactly how things went wrong
- Understanding what needs to happen to recombobulate it all
- Knowing how to take the relevant steps or action to make it happen
So you’ve committed to make a change, now you need to take some action.
It is often advised to take massive action to get massive results. This advice in itself is not wrong, but I think it falls short for many reasons. I am going to share some important distinctions that I teach my clients about action-taking. These will enable you to multiply your results by working smart rather than hard.
Inspired Action
There is little point in taking action and moving towards the future you have marked out for yourself unless it inspires you. Inspiration moves mountains when it is aligned with our beliefs and values. Check in with yourself to see if you are really inspired to take the action required.
Imperfect Action
Most of us are held back as we wait for things to be perfect. We are waiting for the perfect time and the perfect conditions. We sometimes feel we need to study more so that we have perfect knowledge before moving forward. We wait for the perfect website, the perfect home, the perfect look, the perfect weight, and the list goes on. Well, here’s the deal. There is no such thing as perfect.
Complete Action
So many people fly around like busy fools taking massive action and not bringing projects to completion. Focusing on one thing at a time and finishing it off is one of the fastest ways to get results. This, of course, is only true if you are combining this execution with the other components of action-taking described here. Look at your goals and get clear on the next two to three pieces of action you need to take to support your best results. Then make a commitment to complete the action on these pieces.
Sensible Action
Last but not least, make sure the action you are taking is going to directly influence the possibility of executing your vision or goal. Check all action steps and ensure they are going to positively affect the chances of you achieving your desired outcome. This means ensuring each step is sensible and on point. Avoid adding in any unnecessary extra steps. Delegate or automate tasks where possible.
Lastly, make a plan!
It is important to have a timeframe on what you want to achieve. This timeframe satisfies your mind. Knowing how long you intend the process to last will help consciously and subconsciously plan the time blocks within the allocated time. I always start at the end and work back. For example, if I set a business goal I define the time period for achieving it.
Let’s say I decide I want to achieve a business goal within six months. I then ask myself what I need to have done by month five, month four, month three, etc. This helps me to map out the actions I need to take to achieve the goal.
This is an edited extract from my online course and book, Wake up and Change your Life — the 3-part process to creating the good life you deserve. Find out more at www.wakeupandchangeyourlife.com
Originally published at slaintemagazine.ie on December 16, 2016.
Originally published at medium.com