It takes a change in mindset to incorporate a new approach to something. When we’re successful, the payoff is great.
What helps to make something new stick in our lives when the gravitational pull toward our familiar patterns of thinking and doing is so strong? Often, we don’t notice when we depart from our new ways and revert to our usual way of thinking, or, as I like to say, we don’t notice when we keep singing the same song.
I have come across many great ideas that I want to incorporate into my life, yet, at some point, I struggle to overcome my current patterns and make change stick.
Recently, a friend suggested a book which gave me a new way to think about incorporating change into my life. The book, “Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Feelings” by Lynn Grabhorn may have the clue to help us reframe our mindset.
My intrigue started with the phrase “Your Life is Waiting.” It made me wonder…
If my life is waiting, where have I been? I always thought I was in the driver’s seat, pursuing things intentionally. Could it be that I’ve been a passenger in my life?
It turns out our lives are waiting for us to begin intentionally attracting experiences based on where we focus our energy. Seems simple. So, why don’t things change when we are working to attract something new?
Things don’t change because we aren’t putting energy and feeling into what we want. We think we are, but, instead, we are putting our energy and feeling into what we don’t want.
For example, I want to be in better shape. Yet, as I read the book, I realized I’m putting energy into a “Don’t Want.” I put energy into feeling how much I don’t like being in my current shape. My energy is focused on being out of shape. Instead, if I imagine why I want to be in shape and feel what it’s like to be in shape, I will begin to move in the direction of getting in shape.
Humpty Dumpty keeps falling off the wall because he’s visualizing not falling off the wall. He keeps getting the same thing he always had – he keeps falling off the wall! When Humpty visualizes and feels what it’s like to stay on the wall, he will stay on the wall.
Like Humpty Dumpty, I’m often focused on “Don’t Wants” instead of “Wants.”
My challenge to myself is to step into the driver’s seat. I will intentionally choose where I want to focus my energy and then imagine and feel that future state. I’m excited to try. It makes me joyful just imagining the possibilities of making a new change in my life stick.
How have you been successful in getting change to stick?
Please share your comments on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Photo Credits: Fotolio
