Do you have dreams for your life but don’t know how to follow through on goals?
You’re not alone. Until I learned how to work with my brain, rather than against it, I spent years “recommitting” to the same goals that I believed were so important to my value system. Enter the shame game- I used to beat myself up so badly because if it was so important to me, why couldn’t I figure it out?
The goals looked different over the years. Sometimes it was a desire to honor myself with daily movement or complete my gratitude journal. Other times, I sincerely wanted to take time for daily spiritual practice or nourish myself with foods that make me feel my best most of the time. Regardless of the goal, I couldn’t seem to transition from interested to fully committed. I’d get going for a while, and then self-sabotage would take over.
If you want to learn how to follow through on goals, becoming someone who doesn’t over identify with feelings is essential.
Acting from a feeling in the moment doesn’t always create the result you want for your life.
Learning how to discern when I should take action from a feeling or sit with it, breathe, get curious, and let it pass has been one of the best gifts.
I have a beautiful life. Nonetheless, even still, sometimes I wake up and don’t feel like showing up for myself in the way I planned. My morning rituals, my movement practice, my work that I adore, even- at times, they all don’t pull me into joyful action the way they usually do.
What brings me back to my center? Asking these two questions:
- What else is true?
We think thousands of thoughts each day, all of which are merely sentences in our brains. Often, we become fixated on one, forgetting to realize we are one quick sentence away from being in alignment.
- Is acting from this feeling going to get me the result I want for my life?
Knowing the life you want and what you’re growing towards makes it super easy to check in with yourself and answer this question, so you are not at the effect of the whims of your days.
Without intentional thinking, we tend to take the path of least resistance, which makes it even more challenging to learn how to follow through on goals. This tendency is just your habit brain that wanting to avoid pain and seek ease.
Connect with your power by taking a moment to recognize the feelings that are taking you away from moving towards the results you want for your life, then reorient yourself to those two questions. Thinking an intentional thought on purpose will shift you right back into aligned action.
One of my teachers once shared this powerful reminder:
“Do the easy things now, and your life will be hard. Do the hard things now [practicing intentional thoughts, taking uncomfortable action to get the long-term results you want], and your life will be easy”.
Real talk: You choose your hard. You can have discomfort in the life you’re living with no end in sight. Or you can allow yourself to be uncomfortable as you discover new skills and put them into action. The latter comes with the peace of knowing meaningful change will happen.
If you don’t like the results you’re getting, something needs to change. Shift your thoughts to create a feeling that puts you into intentional action towards the outcome you’re looking for in your life.
Are you ready for the kind of discomfort that moves you toward the life you want?
Hear my heart: That doesn’t mean excluding rest from your life. The opposite, actually. I fully believe in intentionally scheduling in days filled with rest and an open schedule so I can follow my in-the-moment desires and fill my cup through spontaneity. Slowing down is often the key to speeding up when it’s needed. Rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Don’t fall into the trap of not showing up for yourself. This life is beautiful. Think and act purposefully to create and connect with a life you love.
Striving towards change isn’t always easy, but it’s possible. Changing your thoughts takes time and self-inquiry. Along the way, honor yourself with gratitude. Not all your goals need to come true at once. That all-or-nothing mindset kept me spinning for a long time. Take a look around and notice the aspects of your current reality that were once a dream. And give thanks. Gratitude is often the key that unlocks more resilience, ease, trust, and creativity.
Give these two questions a go and watch how you become someone who knows how to follow through on goals. I’m holding the belief in your ability to learn how to transform until you’re ready to embody it for yourself.
Thanks for being here! Helping people create lives they love is my jam. Schedule a free consultation if you want help to see if my services align with your goals! We’ll be a good fit if you need support creating thoughts that are true to you so you can take action from that place.
If you found this post helpful, check out this yoga flow for another way to recharge to get after your dreams: A Yoga Flow to Reset and Refresh
To your health,
Laura
