It's the start of 2015. Most of us have probably set a new year's resolution whether in conrete, stone, thought or conversation. We have all thrown around ideas, thoughts, goals, desires and wants for 2015, which is great! How determined are you? Are your ideas or goals specific, measureable, achievable/realistic, time-bound and do they allow you to be rewarded immediately or along the way?
Know where you are currently and accept it regardless of whether it's where you want to be, as this will one, help you to be realistic and two, it will ground you. It will also help you to move forward and take a journey toward achieving a change, acquiring new skills, an improvement or just reaching toward the end of your goal step by step.
I always had a in 3 hours, 3 months, 3 years saying when I was goal-setting. I was always committed to achieving whatever goal I truly believed in and wanted to accomplish, time was important, but if I wanted something bad enough I wouldn't get too caught up on trying to achieve it in an unrealistic time-frame. My goals were planned, I worked hard, I stuck to them and I rewarded myself along the way (rewards were not always gifts of a monetary value, sometimes they were just a treat like going to a new location, enjoying a favourite food, marking my calendar with a big tick, going for a walk, watching a movie/tv etc...). There are always going to be inevitable factors, bumps, hurdles, people, things and challenges along the way that will holt you temporarily, not set you back. The way you think about setting and achieving goals has to be very positive and this in itself is a challenge, especially if you are not aware or do not know how to keep the negative out and overcome thoughts with positivity and productivity.
Allow yourself to be challenged and move forward. Understand that no one is perfect and we all lead very different lives. Not one of us thinks, works, looks the exact same way nor do we have the same personality. There will always be something about everyone that keeps us individual, unique and beautiful. We have to accept that we cannot be somebody else or have someone else's situation. So our goals and the plans we set to achieving them will also be different. They have to be you.
Allow yourself to be grateful for what you have and who you are. Be happy, confident, self-reliant, resilient and love yourself and who you are. Don't dwell on the past and the mistakes made because tomorrow is a brand new day. Take responsibility because only you can choose and make the choice to create and live your life or dance through it! This way you will free yourself, allow new opportunities forward and allow yourself to be open to new experiences, discover, explore and have fun.
Replace negativity with words that have power and meaning, use affirmations or visualisation and see everything good, positive, nice and successful, always say 'I can'. Yes, work, life, relationships, sports, dance, friendships will always have great bits, good bits, not so good bits and sometimes crisis or disaster and it may be very hard at the time with the thought of nowhere to go from here but there is light on every road and every journey. If you are at the very bottom you can rise above, on and up! Remember there is light even in the dark!
What actions are you going to take to achieve your goal? Don't just think about them, write down at least 3-5 actions (or more) that will help you move forward to achieving your goal(s).
How are you going to stay motivated? Don't just say it out aloud, write down at least 3-5 things/actions (or more) that will help you to stay motivated and enthusiastic to achieve your goal(s).
We look forward to having you back at our Rock 'n' Roll and or Lindy Hop group dance lessons in 2015. This is a new year and tomorrow is a new day. Start a new journey and discover partner dancing with us, so that you too can experience the fun and love of dance, enjoy the socials, workshops, classes, events, performances, competition dancing and more.
Visit our class locations or if you have enjoyed reading our article share it or read more articles in our blog.
References:
1) Mark Tyrell, How to Stop Negative Thinking in 7 Simple Steps, http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/how-to-stop-negative-thinking/
2) Remez Sasson, The Power of Negative Thinking and How to Overcome It, http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_00002d.htm
3) Mind Tools, Personal Goal Setting, Planning to Live Your Life Your Way, http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html