In my work, there are two Self Development Seasons.
(I know what you’re thinking - January, right? But, no. People are burnt out from the holidays, trying to get caught up with work, and there’s a lot going on.)
When are they (at least in North America)?
Mid February until Memorial Day - coming out of winter blues and embracing spring, but before school lets out and summer swings into gear
Labor Day to Thanksgiving - summer’s over, it’s nice to be outside again, but the holidays haven’t pressed our time, energy, or resolve yet
There are 11 weeks from now until Thanksgiving and that gives a nice 3(ish) month chunk of time to work on your self, lifestyle, larger goals, and overall wellbeing.
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Three months can be a big level up.
I often hear from people the expectation that they’ll learn the “right” habits or the “perfect” program, and then do it as if they were a light switch. I’m here to tell you:
CHANGE DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY!
Sorry. I know you want it to.
It would be so much easier and more fun if it did.
But you’re not a light switch.
You’re a person in a process of life and living.
For that process to move you in the way you want it to will take time, good information, self reflection, and a bit of luck. (Why luck? Lots of disruptive things can happen even to the perfect plan and the most resourced people.)
If you’re embracing these 3 months, here are 3 things I think you should consider:
1. Choose a single, unambiguous area of your life to work in.
“Getting healthy” is incredibly vague.
”Working on my fitness” is pretty weak, too.
”Eating right”? Well, that’s closer at least.
The more clear you can be about how you’ll spend these 11 weeks the better your information gather and plans can be. The more you’ll be focused when things get challenging.
Research is also clear that when people try to change many things at once they’re far less successful than when they pick a single thing to focus on and see it through.
2. Define success at the start
When you’re shooting in the dark it’s hard to hit the target… even worse when you’re not clear what the target is.
One question I ask clients about their goals: “How will you know you’re successful?”
Then we set objective (measurable) and subjective (experiential) outcomes so we have a way to measure progress and we know how it should feel for them if we’re getting it right.
3. Know why you’re doing this
Get very clear on your internally aligned motivations - that’s going to beat out the perfect habits or programs every time.
Bonus: Get (qualified) help when you struggle
Coaches, trainers, and therapists accelerate your process. Why? Because they can see obstacles that you don’t even know to look for and they know how to help you navigate them.
Is there information, resources, or ideas that would help you this Self Development Season? Please don’t hesitate to reply to this email and let me know what you think.