Setting
the Stage to Stick To Your Goal
...Well, actually it’s more like
slowly laying double-sided tape all over the stage so that once all is said and
done the end goal will have a pretty tough time falling back off and out of the
spotlight!
Remember, some goals, even once achieved
cannot be maintained if we continue to operate as we are now. Even if someone were to magically snap their
fingers today and get you to your goal, would your current lifestyle nourish
this goal? Would it allow this goal to
stick?
If the answer is no - then here
is yet another reason that slow, steady changes are necessary before you reach
this goal, think of it as practice for maintaining the goal once you reach it!
As an example - say that your
goal is to get a new job. Will the
current amount of time you spend with friends outside of work be possible once
you have the new job? Will your current
wardrobe work in the job you want?
You may have heard:
Dress for the job you want, not
the job you have.
This is just as true for the
person whose goal it is to get a new job as it is for the person whose goal is
to get out of debt.
If jeans and sweatshirts will not
work in the job you want start now building the wardrobe that will work once
you are where you want to be. In the
same way, will spending money on expensive entertainment keep you out of debt
once you’re out?
If not, then don’t think of ways
to cut out entertainment until the debt is paid off and then get back to your
old ways.... Instead use the time it
will take to get the debt paid off to slowly find new hobbies (as in, slowly
build your wardrobe) that are cheaper. - Instead of thinking of living more
frugally as a ‘temporary’ thing you are doing until your debt is gone - truly
embrace the frugal lifestyle, find new, inexpensive hobbies that you truly
enjoy and that will continue to support a debt-free lifestyle.
It goes without saying that this
also applies to weight loss. Instead of
thinking about eating in a drastic and forced way just to get you to your
desired weight - start now finding healthier alternatives that you truly love
that will keep your body where you want it to be once you are there.
Any tools you will need to get to
your goal will also probably be necessary in keeping that goal. So start to build and grow your ‘toolbox’
start to ‘stock your kitchen, your pantry, your arsenal’ or whatever other
metaphor you would like. Just start to
surround yourself and get comfortable with small changes that will support and
keep you at your goal in the long run!
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