(0)
image of Lisa Bent

Lisa Bent | Inside Out | Come On

Read the latest from our columnist, transformational counsellor and blogger, Lisa Bent. Check in with Lisa each month, right here,  where she’ll be writing about personal development, mental health, social issues and a whole lot more…

Welcome to August. Yes, you heard correctly, AUGUST! Time is flying and I have no idea why or how. I blinked and missed the seven months that passed.  Raise your hand if you are in the same boat?

My aim is not to transfer my total shock to you, but in case you have been in a chilled, “I’ll do it tomorrow”, auto-pilot mode, I am here to nudge you, to remind you that there are only five months left of this year, so COME ON! Make it count.

Statistics show that most people fall of the New Years’ resolution/goals wagon before the end of January. According to Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and Harvard Business School Professor, this is because we set ourselves up for failure by creating unreasonable aims for ourselves. When we do not achieve our goals, we experience negative emotions and lack of motivation.

Only around 40% of people have stuck to their resolutions by July. So where are people at by August, this month? Already failed, failing, trailing further away from the path or still going for it? Apparently, the most-broken resolutions are:

  • Losing Weight
  • Making—and Saving—More Money
  • Working Out
  • Getting a New Job
  • Eating Healthier
  • Stopping Smoking
  • Managing Stress Better
  • Improving a Relationship

Does any of the above apply to you?

Discipline and commitment are necessary requirements for staying on track, alongside vision and passion, which is what keeps us motivated. Seeing the end picture in your mind’s eye stirs a happy, excited feeling within. and that helps us to keep on going.

None of us can time travel, so we cannot go back in time and do the things that we said we were going to do. We also know and probably, therefore, agree with Beverly Knight who sang, “shoulda, woulda, coulda are the last words of a fool”.  Regret isn’t going to help strive you forward. So, what I am inviting you to do, if you are failing or trailing, is to revisit your goals list, for the following reasons;

Can you achieve your goal/s in 5 months?
Are you still interested in attaining the outcome you set in January?
Are you still passionate about the goal/s or do you need to change direction?
What do you need to do differently in general and to ensure you meet your daily/weekly goals?
Do you need to change your working space to concentrate better?

“New Year, New Me” will become the most disappointing phase you say if you do not put actions to your plan. There are no red shoes to click three times like Dorothy to take you home, ideally somewhere over the rainbow right next to that pot of gold. Unfortunately, unlike Snow White, you cannot sing and get all the wildlife animals to do the work for you. This is not a fairytale, there is no midnight bell, no magic “poof” sound where you are transformed into who you really are.

What I am trying to say is, there are no short cuts. You are going to have to do the work, it’s part of the journey along with procrastination and self-doubt. However, you created the goal for a reason, so do it, don’t let fear or your comfort zone voice sway you, you can do it. COME ON!

Good Luck on the journey to being your best self!

Lisa x

Connect with Lisa @Iam_LisaBent

 

One comment

  1. Lisa Bent | Inside Out | Reclaiming my time

    […] month. I wrote about how shocked I was that August had crept up like a professional pocket thief.  I realised I […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply