Most people, who are honest with themselves, would acknowledge they have at least a few areas of themselves that they need to change or improve. Perhaps it is eating habits, or perhaps it is dealing with their anger. It may be getting to bed at a good time or keeping their desk area clean. It may be working on their spirituality or it may be ... well you get the picture.
Each of us is unique, and our comparison, and the list we would thus develop, between "how I am" and "how I want to be" will be different.
There are changes that we can make, minor and major, that will help us live life better.
If we sat down and listed everything that needs to change, most of us would find ourselves overwhelmed. Too much! How can I expect myself to do all that?
We may even become defensive and insist that a particular change is not necessary, for us or for anyone.
Which is why the following journaling exercise may surprise you:
Write down three changes that you feel are necessary for your growth. You may think of more, but only write down a maximum of three. Changes can be anything that strikes you as necessary. Leave space both to the right and beneath each entry. You will be writing two-three sentences on each entry.
Beside each entry write two numbers. The first number is difficulty level (1-5, 1 being easiest). The second is necessity (1-5, 1 being least necessary). Again, as we are each different people what strikes you as difficult or necessary may not strike another the same way.
Using those two numbers as a criterion, circle the one (and only one) you feel that you should tackle now. While necessity is going to be an important factor, ease might also factor in. For example, you might have "cutting back on sugar" as 2/3 and "keeping desk clear as 3/5" but decide that right now, when you are in the middle of a move, that keeping your space clean isn't your priority.
Beneath the circled goal write why this is important to you.
On a new clean leaf write:
GOAL: and write down the exact goal.
Below that write down the steps you will take to meet that goal and a timeline if possible. As explained earlier you will keep this as your goal in days that follow, always writing this on a new page.
NOW, turn back to that first list. Below each entry that ISN'T circled write: "This is an important goal. I will get to this if necessary in the future. Right now it is more important to achieve (circled goal)."
Repeat this exercise whenever you feel that you find a "fault" within you that you need to correct. List three, and if you are already working on a specific goal include that in the three, and evaluate. Perhaps the goal you are working on needs to be put to the side for a bit and you need to focus on another.
Whenever you complete a goal, then repeat this exercise. It may strike you that a former goal is no longer necessary or the achievement of another goal satisfied that goal as well. For example, one goal may be getting to bed on time. You may find getting to bed on time helps you get out the door in the morning without leaving dishes in the sink.
If you begin to worry about a goal you are not working on, go back and reread the line beneath it. "This is an important goal. I will get to this if necessary in the future. Right now it is more important to achieve (circled goal)."
Because we can't do everything all at once.
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