January has been assigned as my month to review my previous goals, update my goals, add new goals, and recharge my vision. So here’s the second instalment of serious, goal setting stuff.
The big question is: what’s to stop me from keeping it moving and forgetting about my goals until next January? It’s all good setting goals but they’re worthless if they’re not going to be attained.
Changing day-to-day behaviours are easier than you may think. By meditating on and regularly engaging with motivational and inspirational quotes, we are better equipped to change our thought patterns, behaviours, and in turn begin to change our lives.
But how?
If we believe that something is easy, we generally find it easy to accomplish. On the other hand, if we imagine said task to be difficult, then chances are that a struggle will arise.
The same applies to behaviours - if we believe that it is difficult to change a behaviour, we will always find experiences that will honour the belief.
Excuses are powerful things!
Here’s an example that I can apply to myself now - as part of my 2020 goals I have decided that:
Today is the day I stop being an aspiring model and become a ”model”. When things get difficult, I won’t give up; instead I’ll focus on getting more shots in my portfolio for maximum exposure. It'll be tough at first, but I'm going to give it a try.
This pattern of thought will leave me struggling more often than not. But can you see why?
Read the statement again - there are thought patterns and beliefs already in place.
Yes, I have resolved to do something good for myself, but to the detriment of the accompanying negative thought patterns, beliefs and words that go with them.
Examples:
"When things get difficult...."
(Error 1: already assuming that there will be difficult moments)
"It'll be tough at first..."
(Error 2: already assuming it will be difficult to begin with)
"...but I'm going to give it a try."
(Error 3: think "The Karate Kid"..."There is no "try", there is only "do". Ask Daniel-san)
If I have convinced myself that modelling is difficult, I may hit a brick wall as long as I don’t understand that my thought patterns may be stronger than my desire to change.
Here’s an example that I’m sure many will identify with:
"Today is the day I start to lose weight. When things get difficult, I won’t reach for junk food; instead I’ll focus on something else to keep my mind occupied. It'll be tough at first, but I'm going to give it a try."
Again, the same errors within the thought patterns.
An alternative approach to the same situation:
1) Understand the need to change my way of thinking with regards to becoming a model - choose a thought pattern and belief that will be easier to think about. For example: "Getting into modelling is easier than I thought." *
*disclaimer: I’m not saying that this is the answer to your life’s problems - I’m just saying that you can’t expect to succeed if you set yourself up for failure.
2) Chose a word to focus on for that day, week or month to help accomplish your goal. Make sure the word is related to the accomplishment that you are trying to achieve - e.g. the word "FOCUS", as in focusing more on becoming a model rather than expecting to slip and fall into it. Any word is fine, as long as it relates to your situation. (Attitude, Energy, Action, Believe...)
3) Obtain motivational / inspirational quotes related to your word of focus that resonate with you - they’re easily searchable on the internet. Quotes that you can remember, that really leap out at you. Quotes that are powerful enough to change your thought patterns the moment you read them; that force you to pause and think for a moment.
These are all signs of a quote that holds power for you.
Some examples of motivational quotes:
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
- Peter Drucker
“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
- Vince Lombardi
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
- Thomas Edison
Write them down, carry them everywhere, read them, meditate on them, recite them, re-quote them at every opportunity. At work, home, at the gym, on your commute when “that person” coughs and doesn’t cover their mouth (yep, it’s a pet peeve) - focus on your selected quotes to help you to channel your energy in the right direction.
You should find that changing your thought patterns over time will bring you closer to your goals and possibly a happier state. Please don’t kid yourself into thinking that accomplishing the goal doesn’t involve much more than just thinking - but it begins with your thoughts, which in turn, evolve into actions.
So, to summarise, the three steps are:
Make the decision to change your way of thinking about a behaviour, in order to make it easier for you to think about it. Phrase it in a simple way
Choose a word to focus on for your chosen time period, to shape that behaviour
Find three (or more) motivational / inspirational quotes related to your chosen word - powerful enough to change your current thought patterns the second you read them. Meditate on them, repeat them, whether in your head or aloud every chance that you get.
Remember: be patient, stick it out and give it time. It takes 6 weeks to form a habit (or so I’ve heard).
Thoughts are the precursor to action; in other words your thoughts occur before any of your actions take place. So change your thoughts first, and the actions will follow.
I too am working on these and I’m confident that it will work for me - I hope this inspires and motivates you to achieve your goal.
Random link alert...on the subject of this post, and of this website, all the models in the house may benefit from taking a peek at ‘Setting goals for your modelling career’. I found it interesting, and I will definitely use it to assist with the development of my model portfolio, so I’m hoping you will too.
Heads up:
As we sail through the month that I'm now calling “goals-uary”, I have re-recognised (that was not a typo) that I have a lot to achieve. That said, I am now going to be posting monthly rather than fortnightly. You don’t escape me that easily!
Have a great and productive 2020 xoxo
Please let me know how these techniques work for you - contact me here
Keep up with my selfie shenanigans on my modelling profile on Insta: @althie_model
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About the author [that would be me]:
I am a Senior Project Manager by day; by night (aka any other time), you can find me lifting heavy metal things (aka powerlifting), threatening to dust off my belt in the name of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (I will make myself re-worthy of my blue belt), or finding ways to get in front of a camera and labelling it as modelling in some way shape or form.
I put this blog together as an add-on to my modelling portfolio, and it reminded me of how much I love to write. I will continue to write as my model portfolio grows, just so that you can get to know the real me.
Althea James model x
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Thank you!