5 Ways to Sustain Change
At the beginning of last year, I attended a Vision Board Workshop and created my first ever vision board. Believe it or not, this is a science backed tool for attracting what you want in life! I revisited that board at the beginning of this year and realised I had achieved most of what was pictured on that board. So what’s the science behind it?
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves that sits in your brain stem and it’s job is to regulate behavioural arousal, consciousness, and motivation. It controls what stimulus you’re aware of so that you’ll be motivated to behave in a certain way. It’s the reason a new mother will sleep through loud planes outside but rouse to the sound of her baby crying. And it’s the reason if you’re shopping for a beach holiday destination, that suddenly you notice everyone is posting pictures of Hawaii or talking about their recent trip to Tahiti. Ever thought that was simply a coincidence?
RAS helps to automate what’s in your neural pathways and reinforce what’s in your subconscious. So if you’re picturing great things for yourself and aligning your thoughts to achieving those things, RAS will help you to deliver on those promises to yourself.
“Acting ‘as if’ sends powerful commands to your subconscious mind to find creative ways to achieve your dreams. It programs the reticular activating system (RAS) in your brain to start noticing anything that will help you succeed, and it sends strong messages to the universe that this end goal is something you really want!”, Jack Canfield.
How do I sustain real change?
1. When embarking on change, set a clear intention for yourself
Only intentional change will move you forward. You need to be clear on why you’re looking to change something. How is it important to you? Do you truly value the change you’re looking for? Is your decision to change intrinsically motivated? Looking more deeply into your intention will start to unearth what you really want. For example, are you looking to lose weight or are you really looking to be healthier to keep up with your kids? One is a stronger motivator than the other. Mindset is the first building block. If you’re not accepting of the fact that sustainable change is hard, that setbacks will occur, and that your attitude is paramount to the process, then stay in this first step until you’re ready to proceed.
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude”, Oprah Winfrey.
2. Set a clear goal for yourself
You are most likely familiar with the SMART method for goal setting. This entails phrasing your goal in a way that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. It’s a really simple method for clarifying your goal in a way that removes any ambiguity.
The EXACT method is very similar but with a couple of twists. In this method you make your goal Explicit, eXciting, Assessable, Challenging, and Time framed. The difference between the two models is that the EXACT model promotes a goal which is challenging and exciting whereas the SMART model focuses on realistic and achievable. In this sense, the EXACT model encourages us to stretch outside of our comfort zone a little more.
Either way, both are useful for creating energy and motivation towards a meaningful outcome. So there’s no right or wrong here; simply choose the method which resonates most with you.
3. Attend to potential obstacles/pitfalls in advance
The typical challenges I hear in coaching relate to the following; not finding the time, weather not being good (in the case of a goal related to outdoor exercise for instance), lack of motivation, too much difficulty, not enjoying it, or trying to take on too much change at once (for example, changing nutrition and exercise in parallel).
In each of these cases you can spend a little time on the front-end brainstorming what these might look like for you before identifying strategies in advance that might seek to mitigate their impact. This might look like scheduling your workouts so that you “make the time”, investigating indoor alternatives if you’re a fair-weather exerciser (I know I can be!), teaming up with friends or a supportive community for motivation, adjusting your goal if you’ve made it too difficult, gamifying your experience if you find you’re not enjoying it (many apps can help with this depending on your goal), or readjusting your goal so that you start small. Whatever your example/s might be, proactively plan for these in advance. And remember it’s action that precedes motivation!
“True life is lived when tiny changes occur”, Leo Tolstoy.
4. Embrace experimentation as part of your change
James Dyson apparently created 5,127 prototypes before arriving at the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner. In the same way (although hopefully not to that extent!) you’ll go through a series of trial-and-error processes as you look to develop a habit or make a change that will become sustainable.
Change typically eventuates when we create new habits. Habit formation is a product of ease, environment, and enjoyment. For example, I start each day with meditation and yoga. I pull together what I need for this routine the evening before and set it aside so that it is “easy” to do each day. I have also created a separate space for this activity so that I maintain a quiet “environment”. Lastly, I select different meditations each morning (depending on my mood) and follow a 30-day yoga challenge to keep things fresh and sustain my “enjoyment”. For your chosen goal and situation, what might these “3 E’s” look like for you?
So the idea is to come up with an initial plan of attack, test it, reflect on any successes or learnings of that plan, then apply those to adjust the plan as necessary. Aim to reward yourself as you achieve progress and celebrate any key milestones – both of the action and attitude kind. And try to actively work on not being discouraged if it takes a few iterations before you find something you can sustain. Try to recall the perseverance of our good friend Mr. Dyson in any moments of frustration!
5. Stay accountable
Says Coach Shirzad Chamine, “Research indicates a 500% increased likelihood of establishing positive new habits when supported by accountability partners”. This is a staggering statistic! Additionally, the more you can share your goals and aspirations with others as if you’ve already achieved them, the higher the likelihood that you will start to activate that RAS we talked about earlier. What forms of accountability work best for you? Finding a supportive community directly aligned to the goal you’re looking to achieve? Finding an app that will gamify your goal and track your progress? Regularly checking in with friends or family members? Journaling about your experience and progress? How will you stay accountable for what you really want in life?
Change can be hard, uncomfortable, and downright messy at times. Ultimately though, it can be incredibly satisfying and rewarding. What change are you looking to achieve?
Looking for an accountability partner to support your change? Coaching can be a useful way to gain clarity around what you really want and to help you chart a course to get you there. Reach out for a free discovery call to learn more.