Personal development is one of the most terrifying, satisfying tasks you can undertake – and one thing that people sometimes forget is that it’s ongoing. It’s hard work making changes such as cutting off a negative relationship, quitting your job to prioritise health over wealth, or taking a sabbatical to begin your first novel, so we tend to expect to see results from them straight away. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In the aftermath of making a big change in your life, here’s what you should be doing.
(1) Be patient and persistent
Change takes time, and it takes effort. If you’ve been working yourself into a hospital bed for the last decade, your health won’t spring back the very moment you close the office door for the last time. However, if you put in six months of good food, regular exercise, and restful sleep, you’ll certainly be seeing the benefits. Don’t negate the tough work you’ve done in making a change by giving up on it too soon.
(2) Adjust your course to meet your goals
Sometimes the changes we make don’t quite get to the heart of what we’re trying to achieve. Maybe sitting at your kitchen table, laptop open and cursor blinking isn’t getting that novel written as fast as you thought it would. Maybe you’ll discover that what you really want to do is write poetry. Maybe you’ll realise that you need a change of scene to spark your creativity. Either way, keep your eye on the reason you decided to make a change and adjust your plans as necessary so that you can keep making progress. Just remember to give your efforts time to bear fruit before you worry too much about adjusting course.
(3) Keep going!
There’s no stopping point when it comes to personal growth. If you’ve made a big, emotional change and seen it through to its logical conclusion, that’s not a signal to stop working. It’s a signal to choose a new goal, make some more changes, and keep working towards your best self and your best life. It’s great that you’ve cut off that negative relationship, for example, but that’s not where the story ends. Instead, think of it as a pausing point to reflect on the type of positive relationships you want in your life, and what changes you need to make to get them. Life coaching can be enormously helpful in helping you continue onwards and upwards in this way, so continue your journey by contacting Eiran on 0466 495 711 or eiran@eirantrethowan.com.au.