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Archive for the 'goal setting' Tag

What Moves You? Discover the Inspiration to Change

December 31st, 2008, 3:21 pm by Michelle May, M.D.

Have you ever felt motivated to exercise, eat better, lose weight or make other positive changes on New Years day, only to feel your enthusiasm slip away as time passes or the going gets tough? Although motivation seems elusive at times, when you understand how to tap into your sources of inspiration, you’ll feel more in charge of your attitude and know what to do to maintain and restore your drive and motivation.

 

Peel Away the Layers

 

First, clearly identify your personal reasons for making a change. It’s important to peel away the layers to make sure you get to the heart of your motivation. Some sources of motivation are internal: thoughts and feelings like fear or longing. Others are external: events, people, situations or rewards that inspire you. Both internal and external motivators can fuel the process of change, especially when you tap into those that create strong emotion for you. These powerful motivators will keep you moving in the right direction.

 

Candace was surprised to discover that what she really wanted was more significant than she initially thought:

 

I stopped setting New Years Resolutions several years ago. Before that it was the same thing every year: 1. Lose Weight. 2. Exercise. Who wants to keep failing year after year? However, as I “mature” I realize that “losing weight and exercising” isn’t really what matters to me so that’s why my resolutions just left me feeling deprived and guilty. What I really want is to experience more enjoyment in my life and to feel more vibrant and healthy. This year I’ve decided to set two resolutions that inspire me:

 

1. Practice mindful eating during at least one (if not all) of my meals each day.

2. Find opportunities to move more every day.     

Here are ten tried and true tips to help you set succesful New Years Resolutions.

 

Motivation Top 10  

 

1.       Why Now? In order to identify your own powerful motivators, take out a piece of paper and answer these two questions: 

  • Why is it important to me to make a change (for example, stop yoyo dieting)?
  • Why do I want to make this change now, at this point in my life?


Now, think about what you’ve written and challenge yourself to dig deeper to uncover even more meaningful answers. Ask yourself the two questions again: So why is that important to me? And why now? You may need to ask the “why” questions a few times to peel back the layers and get to the personal inspiration that’s the fuel for meaningful change. You’ll know you’ve hit on something important when you experience a strong emotion.

 

2.       Set Goals. You wouldn’t start out on a trip without knowing where you’re going, would you? Visualizing your endpoint will help you determine the path for getting there so your brain has a detailed map to follow. See http://amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-12-07.pdf to learn how to set Meaningful Magnetic New Years Resolutions.

 

3.       Start Small. One of your greatest sources of motivation is seeing progress. If you’re having a hard time getting started, ask yourself, “What is the smallest goal I could set that I’d be likely to achieve?” and start there. Keep in mind that your goal isn’t perfection, it’s direction.

 

4.       Be Consistent. Consistency is one of the keys to creating a habit. For example, if your goal is to walk five days a week or to start meditating daily, write it down on your calendar or on your “to do” list then treat it like any other important commitment.

 

5.       Be Flexible. Too often, people wait for the perfect time to make a change, like getting more exercise. It’s unlikely the perfect time will ever come—and it won’t last anyway—so make fitness fit into your life just the way it is today. When life gets in the way (and it will), adjust your routine so you can still fit it in.

 

6.       Use Reminders. Your motivation can fade simply because you’ve lost touch with what inspired you in the first place. Create reminders to keep your source of inspiration top of mind. Some examples: If you’re motivated to eat healthier because you want to inspire your children, have them draw a picture of all of you at the dinner table or cooking together. If your goal is to be more active, set an alarm on your computer that reminds you to get up and walk around the office once every hour. If you want to eat more mindfully, wear an Am I Hungry? bracelet (see below) or download a sign from http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/am-i-hungry…if-not-sign.pdf to put on your refrigerator that says:

 

Am I hungry?

If not, then what I need ISN’T IN HERE!

 

7.       Anticipate Challenges. Set yourself up for success by thinking through possible challenges and come up with coping strategies ahead of time. When you make a mistake or get off track, consider it a learning opportunity. Use the feedback to create a plan for what you’ll do differently when that challenge comes up again. For example, if you find you can’t get yourself to the gym after you get home at night, take your exercise clothes to work with you. 

 

8.       Team Up. When you’re feeling low in motivation, you can borrow some from others around you. Find an accountability partner, exercise buddy, coach, personal trainer or support group. (I’d love to be part of your team to get your New Year off to a great start. See my 10th Anniversary Bonus below!)

 

9.       Be Patient. One of the things I hear most frequently from people I work with is that although it takes time, they eventually reach a point where eating mindfully or being more active becomes natural. You may not feel that way initially so you’ll have to operate on faith that that it will get easier (unless you quit).

 

10.   Reward Yourself. Since it takes time to see results, come up with both small and large incentives to motivate yourself to reach your short and long term goals. For example, you could give yourself points for the minutes you spend exercising then trade them in for the time to do other things you enjoy too. And be sure to celebrate your success as you achieve the goals you’ve set.

 

Of course the greatest inspiration is seeing the fruits of your labor – and the greatest reward is in knowing that you’ve done your best.

 

Eat Mindfully. Live Vibrantly!

Michelle May, M.D.

http://www.amihungry.com/ 

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Picture This: Positive Visualization to Create the Life You Dream Of

October 8th, 2008, 9:59 am by Michelle May, M.D.

If you watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, didn’t you marvel at how everyone knew exactly where they were supposed to be and when?

I think I figured it out a few weeks later when my daughter Elyse, a high school freshman, joined the Desert Vista Rolling Thunder Marching Band. Never mind the complicated musical score based on a popular video game. The part that truly amazes me is the drill–the formations we eventually see during half-time.

Each week, she gets an email from her director with ten new “dot” sheets showing everybody’s position on the field. She prints them out and slips them into plastic sheet protectors hooked to a lanyard she’ll wear around her neck during band practice.

I picked up a dot sheet as it came off the printer. There were over a hundred dots, each representing a different student. She pointed to a dot about mid-field on the 40 yard line. “That’s me; P-11.” She pulled the second dot sheet and pointed to her dot ten yards downfield and closer to the sideline. “Now that’s where I’ll be 16 counts later.” I knew it was probably a silly question, but I had to ask: how’d you get there? “Usually in a straight line,” she replied.

Of course! Once you know where you’re going, you just take the most direct route.

Since presumably no one is emailing you dot sheets, you’re responsible for creating the vision for your life. Do you know where you’re going? Do you have your coordinates mapped out? Do you know what it will look like when you arrive at your destination?

I’m all about mindfulness and living fully in the present moment but that doesn’t mean you just stay on one dot.

Instead, when you set a positive intention for what you want your life to be like, you’re able to move forward, free to truly enjoy and appreciate each step of your journey.

This concept can apply to any aspect of living a healthier lifestyle. Whether your goal is to stop yoyo dieting or run a 5K, when you have a clear vision of where you’re headed, your path for getting there will become more obvious. Take a few moments now to try this process for visualization:

Five Steps to Positive Visualization

1. Quiet your mind. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

2. Allow yourself to imagine what’s possible when you release self-doubt, negative thoughts, and perceived limitations.

3. Visualize an outcome that makes you feel content and joyful.

4. Picture all the details as if your next dot is already a reality.

5. Trust and act on your innate wisdom to bring you to that exact spot.

When you’re able to clearly visualize a result that inspires and energizes you, a straight path will emerge. You then can put one foot in front of the other, steadily moving toward your goal.

Happy Visualization!
Michelle May MD
More articles like this: http://amihungry.com/enews.shtml 

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Magnetic New Years Resolutions: Action

December 31st, 2007, 12:32 pm by Michelle May, M.D.

We are on Day 3 of 3 of creating New Years Resolutions that are like powerful magnets that draw you toward them. These three posts outline a plan to help you create inspiring goals and a map for reaching them.

Day Three: Action

With your goal as the magnetic pull on the needle of your compass, give your brain a map to follow.

Break your larger goal into a series of mini-goals. A magnet cannot attract an object that’s too far away to feel its pull. Goals that feel too far from where you are now quickly lose their attraction. Therefore create achievable mini-goals that are within reach but challenging enough to pull you forward toward your larger goals.

Now write your goals and mini-goals in positive, present terms using detailed words and/or pictures. For example, instead of “I won’t eat sweets anymore,” try “I enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables at each meal to support my energy, health and ideal weight.”

Put your goals in a place where you will see them often. You’ll be amazed at how these concrete words or images begin to manifest themselves in your life.

Use your map to chart your course but be open to new paths to your goals. Obstacles and detours are a natural part of change and provide important learning opportunities. When you remain flexible and patient, you’ll discover creative solutions that help you grow beyond anything you could have imagined.

As you become more clear about your goals and mindful in the process, you’ll see that you are not only drawn toward your goals but your goals are drawn toward you

You can download this plan as a PDF called Seven Steps to Magnetic Resolutions: http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-12-07.pdf.

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Magnetic New Years Resolutions: Attraction

December 30th, 2007, 11:27 am by Michelle May, M.D.

We are on Day 2 of 3 of creating New Years Resolutions that are like powerful magnets that draw you toward them. These three posts outline a plan to help you create inspiring goals and a map for reaching them. 

Day Two: Attraction

Be Inspired. Go for the shiver-factor: If the thought of achieving your goal gives you a little shiver of excitement, you’re on the right track. Your goals should act like a magnet that draws you toward them. (Hint: If you are repelled by the thought of working toward a particular resolution, start over with a new goal that excites and challenges you.)

Predict Your Future. Close your eyes and project yourself into the future. Imagine what it’s like as you achieve your goal. Picture how you feel, think, look, and act–as though it’s happening this very moment. Create a vivid, exciting image of yourself living it out then return to this vision frequently to maintain the pull your goal has on you.

In the next post, I’ll talk about giving your brain a map using your goal as a compass. If you just can’t wait, you can download a PDF of Seven Steps to Magnetic Resolutions: http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-12-07.pdf

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Magnetic New Years Resolutions: Alignment

December 29th, 2007, 9:19 am by Michelle May, M.D.

Forget the hype about how nobody ever achieves their New Years Resolutions. Instead create New Years Resolutions that are like powerful magnets that draw you toward them. Over the next three posts, I’ll outline a plan to help you create inspiring goals and a map for reaching them.

Day One: Alignment

First step: Create space. Invest time this week to think about your present life and set goals that will bring you greater health, happiness and fulfillment. As part of your resolution-making process, decide how you will carve out space daily to accomplish your goals. Most of us can easily find the time in the wasted minutes we spend on unproductive activities like watching TV or surfing the internet. Some of us will need to get up a few minutes earlier or say no to joining another committee.

Next, consider your values. What is truly important to you–family, health, career, achievement, contribution, spiritual growth? When you are clear on what really matters, you’ll willingly invest your valuable time and energy pursuing meaningful goals that are congruent with your principles and values.

In the next post, I’ll talk about creating the “shiver-factor.” If you just can’t wait, you can download a PDF of Seven Steps to Magnetic Resolutions: http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-12-07.pdf

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