8 Keys To Changing (Almost) Anything And Making It Stick

Many of us struggle with change, even when we know it’s for the best. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that change has to be hard, or for big results you have to make big changes; or worse, if you should manage to change something it never sticks.

Who hasn’t fallen flat with New Year resolutions?

It doesn’t have to be that way. Let today be the day you make changes that stick, and it’s easier than you think.

Your results tell you all you need to know. If they’re not what you’d like to see then it’s time to make some changes.

1. Begin by being insistent

Never forget you are one of a kind.

You wouldn’t be here on this planet if the uniqueness that was you wasn’t needed. No matter how discouraged you might get, or how challenging your problems might be, remember that all the changes that matter in the world came about because of one person.

And all the change in your world can only come about because of you. You’re the one who has to create a blueprint, and you’re the one who has to build the life. No one can or will do it for you.

Insist on pursuing your dreams; take chances; accept yourself, faults and all; respect yourself; respect others; live each day to the full. Your dreams and desires are needed.

2. Give up those ultimate statements

Don’t make blanket statements beginning with ‘I’ll never.’ Making ultimate statements causes a whole heap of resistance. If you’re going to give something up, focus on the thing you want, not the thing you plan on giving up.

Change needs a helping hand. Give yourself a chance by replacing those ultimate statements with something more positive.  Forget the ‘I always’ – you can never be ‘always’ at anything. Crowd out your old habits. The old habits of thought, of speech, of action that prevent new results.

And don’t forget you’re human. Falling back into old habits doesn’t mean you’ll never get to the top of the mountain. Maybe you just need to travel on a road that’s less steep for now.

3. Take small steps to make giant leaps

To do things differently, we have to be different. It won’t happen overnight. Don’t make change more difficult than it need be. You are as powerful and capable as you say you are, but there is a price to pay. The price is commitment.

The good news is that one little step every day soon builds the momentum of change. Remember change is a process, not an event. Seek small improvements one day at a time and eventually you’ll see big results. (read The Spirit of Kaizen)

Don’t be put off by how far you have to go. If you keep your eyes on the gap between where you are today and where you’re heading, the vastness of the space in between will paralyze you.

You can make change easier by keeping your eye on the improvements you make. Acknowledge your positive present and let go of the negative past.

4. A little spring cleaning works wonders

Many of us don’t pay nearly enough attention to the thoughts we think, which create the feelings we have, the actions we take and the results we experience.

When I studied with Bob Proctor, he used to say give me 5 minutes with someone and I can tell you the results they experience. That’s because our patterns of speech follow our patterns of thinking.

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine you’re the person you’d like to be, living the life you want to have. By keeping the person you’d like to be in the forefront of your mind you’ll discover before too long you’ve become the person you fantasized about.

Your whole outer life is being determined by the inward track of your thinking.

It’s time to spring clean those thoughts. In the end ‘you become what you think about’ is the foundation for your actions and your results. Clean out thoughts of lack, fear, frustration, doubt, or resentment. They poison the well of your happiness.

Isn’t it better to have a regular spring cleaning of your thinking, even if it means making a daily effort, than to never live the life you wanted?

5. Don’t let anything hold you back

No matter if you see yourself needing to learn more, don’t wait. Fear of uncertainty is a problem for many of us, don’t let it hold you back.

You deserve happiness. You deserve to live a life you love, so begin.

Begin to put the past behind you, even though it hurts. Begin to see yourself as brave, even when you’re quaking in your boots. You have it in your power to begin again, to live each day to the fullest because this day is the only one you can be sure of. Get started.

6. No more excuses

You are here to fulfill a special purpose. A purpose that only you can meet. Stop being a prisoner of excuses and set yourself free.  Profound possibilities await, but first you must accept responsibility for doing what must be done. It’s always your choice to sit and make excuses or get moving.

You can overcome any obstacles if you’re determined enough. A great life won’t come to you by chance but through the choices you make.

Excuses will sabotage your progress and eventually undermine your best intentions and greatest hopes. Believe in yourself, give yourself the life you deserve.

7. Motivation

Motivation isn’t static, it ebbs and flows, it’s habit that will keep you going. But you can make it easier to create new habits. Some people are motivated by tying their  goals to a reward. Help yourself by adding a reward system to the process.

You can give yourself mini rewards as you take mini steps or a major reward once the goal is reached. Or a combination of both.

My friend Susan likes to tie fun to the achievement of her goals. You might choose an evening out, or some treat that means something to you.  Anything that makes the process more fun. It also keeps you going when things get a little tough.

8. Don’t try to skip the process

The most important thing you can know is how you want your life to be. Don’t discount your preferences as unimportant or you’ll never act on your desires in a powerful way. You deserve to have everything in your life just the way you want it.

“Stop looking for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement, one day at a time. That’s the way it happens ~ and when it happens, it lasts.”

Don’t try and skip the process. Slowly build a powerful foundation for lasting change in any area you desire.

Being able to repeat your steps is the key to the magic formula that makes change permanent, that makes it stick.

I’d love to hear from you:

If you’ve had a hard time making any kind of change recently, which one of these steps will help?

Tell me about it in the comments below. The more detail you can share in your comment, the better. We all need encouragement, inspiration and connection and your insight or story might just be what someone needs to have a breakthrough.

Thanks for reading, and if you know of anyone who’s struggling with change, please share.

Encourage one another.

Love Elle