Have you spent time and money looking for the magic nugget that will help you have the life, the relationship, the business you want? Have you ever thought that maybe this book, this seminar, this program will create the breakthrough you’re looking for?
People and organizations offering BREAKTHROUGHS is a multi-billion dollar industry. Goodness knows I have been to my share! I have books, binders and the like – The Five Secrets to …. , The Three Essential Elements of Success in…. , Have the ___ of Your Dreams.
Many of the programs are well done – attractive materials, credible presenters, sound theory and the like. They all tell stories of people whose lives have been changed or relationships transformed or businesses turned around. Even though it says in small print Results May Vary or Results Not Typical, you still go, tune in, subscribe, believing this is your time. And it may be.
And then… months later you come across the notebook, the DVD set or the old boarding pass that remind you of what your hopes had been. At that point, it’s easy to fall into the all-too familiar place of regret, guilt, even despair about the time and money wasted. Of course, deep down, the loss is not about the time and money, it’s about your self-confidence – your belief that you can make changes in your life.
The more times we turn over a new leaf and then don’t follow through, the less confident we become that we can. Being less confident is a protective mechanism. That way if we “fail” again, we won’t be as disappointed, because Hey I didn’t really think it would work anyway.
Have you ever been there?
Self-help programs, books, kits and courses often fail us because they are asking you to bite off too much. The best programs understand that change starts with one step. This step is often obvious, it’s not something hidden or unattainable, it’s the thing you know you could do right now to change the way you feel about yourself and your life.
Recently I ran into Sylvia, a hard-working bright young woman, who I’ve known since she was born. She looked radiant, beaming. And in the course of our conversation she said that last January she had stopped smoking. I’ve been off tobacco for 12 months now, now I’m tackling my weight and getting into shape. By taking just one step, everything else is falling into place for Sylvia.
In Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit, he calls this the Keystone Habit. Keystone is a term from architecture. It’s the stone at the top of the arch, which, when put into place, creates support for all the other stones in the arch. So a Keystone Habit is one that supports other changes.
Sylvia has discovered the power of breaking her keystone habit.
What’s the ONE thing you know would make a difference in your life if you changed it?
Apparently it takes three weeks to make or break a habit. What if you focused on changing that ONE thing for the next three weeks? If you want to go back to the habit in 21 days, feel free. You don’t have to tell yourself you are changing this habit for the rest of your life. Although you might.
I’ll try it with you. For the next three weeks, I am going to have a clean desk by the end of the day, so I’m ready to start fresh the next morning.
What’s your ONE habit you are going to focus on in the next 21 days? Write me and let me know what it is, and we’ll support each other!
One step might be to commit to an upcoming Discover Your YIPPEE Retreat. At this retreat we understand the deep power of a one-step, one-step process to lasting change. You leave the retreat with a plan, on-going support, and the confidence to know you really can create the life you’ve always desired.
Until next Tuesday. YIPPEE!
Elizabeth