Often, when we're thinking of changing something in our lives, we've probably been mulling this over for a while or have tried several strategies but haven't managed to make any of them stick.
I've been a regular gym goer for several years and each January I hear the new joiners saying enthusiastically that they’re going to lose weight and get fit this year and set themselves a target of going to the gym 5x per week! But, by the end of February, they've stopped going!
As we’re now at the beginning of 2024, many of us will have made New Year's resolutions but how much change do we really need to make?
Well, it turns out that the steps that we need to take are much smaller than we might think. Back in September I attended a seminar where the speaker reminded me about the approaches that elite athletes and coaches take to improve their performance. For example, former England cycling and performance coach, Sir David Brailsford, popularised the theory, The 1 % Factor, where, by making small changes, you can achieve what Brailsford calls 'marginal gains'. As we know, the rest is history as Team GB won almost all the track cycling gold medals in London 2012!
So how can we apply this to everyday life?
Achieving your goals
- Start by writing down your goals. By doing this you make yourself accountable.
- Identify small but realistic goals and be specific, for example, I will exercise 30 mins, 2 x per week.
- Keep track of your progress. This will help you to stay motivated.
- Celebrate your journey and review how far you've come, even if you've had a few slips up here and there!
- Remember that you're in this for the long haul!
Working with a Coach
There may be times when we think that we need that extra bit of support and consider working with a coach to help us to achieve a specific goal, such as making a career change.
A coach can help you to:
- explore new possibilities
- define what success looks like for you
- create an action plan that moves you incrementally closer to your goal
By giving yourself this time and space in the form of one-to-one coaching sessions, you're investing in yourself.
I recently worked with a client who wanted to move to the next level in their career and secure a more senior position. Just before our series of sessions ended, they achieved that goal which was a very special moment for us both!
If you would like to make a change in your life or achieve a specific goal and would like to have a chat about coaching sessions, please contact me here Info@jmconsultancy.uk for a free 30 minute chemistry conversation. You can visit my website here www. jmconsultancy.uk/
Here’s to a healthy and joyful 2024!
Janice