Do you ever sit with your friends and discuss ‘what can I do to change my weight, finances, relationship, health, teenagers, (or insert any other behaviour that can be challenging to change)’?
I love discussing how to make life better with friends.
I try to choose the actions to take that are effective in my unique situation. I listen to what they suggest and the advice they give but I do not try to copy what they are doing. I’ve learnt the hard way that this usually doesn’t work.
I think this way of dealing with change stems back to when I had twins and someone wise (I wish I could remember who, but I was very tired) gave me the best advice ever….
“Listen to advice but make sure you do what is right for you. Don’t just copy what someone else is doing because it probably won’t work”.
So that got me thinking.
Whenever I go to a conference or attend a work event I always look for ‘one golden nugget’, my one takeaway, the one that made it worthwhile to attend.
So if you never read anything else about how to change your life or your behaviours ever again this is my take away for you!
Golden Nugget #1 – don’t copy other people
Whenever you are trying to make change happen in your life take actions that are appropriate and effective for you and don’t just try to copy what someone else is doing. Your life is unique and how you choose to change it needs to be unique to you too.
On the back of that I’m going to give you more two bonus nuggets.
Golden Nugget #2 – use a system
You need to choose the right actions. To make sure that the actions you choose to take are appropriate and effective to make change happen for you – you need a system. If you don’t then you will end up deciding what actions to take without understanding why you are taking them. That is why we end up not using our gym memberships, failing at diets and spending money rather than saving it.
Golden Nugget #3 – don’t jump to the tail of the whale
Behaviour Works have developed the Whale approach that sits at the heart of our ‘Making Change Happen’ programme. It’s a process that takes you through 7-steps from clarifying your why you want to change your life through to action. Whenever someone chooses actions to take because ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time’ and then discovers that the change either didn’t happen or only happened in the short term we call this ‘jumping to the tail of the whale’.
So, if you want to learn how to choose appropriate and personalised actions why not empower yourself with the tools to make change happen. These tools can be reused time and time again whatever life throws at you and whatever you want to change.
The ‘Making Change Program’ is available online and is an easy to follow, step by step personalised process that helps you to make the change you want in your life.
Best wishes
Eleanor
Share your ‘change golden nuggets’ in the comments below.
Behaviour Works aim is simple. To help make change happen in your personal, family or working life. Every week we help people across the world with their own change journey with our online training. Check us out at Behaviour Works.
Main photo by Md Mahdi on Unsplash
Pink and gold photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Friends photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
