It has been a month and a half since goals were set at New Year's. How has your progress been? If that question makes you feel you’ve hit a plateau, then it’s time to step back and take a deep breath.
Slow Progress is Still Progress
Walking across a plateau can be discouraging but it’s important to realize you are still moving forward. Learning to push through plateaus is essential in being patient with yourself. James Clear illustrates this principle in his book Atomic Habits when speaking about how ice melts. To summarize: at 30 degrees Fahrenheit, water is still frozen. Even at 31 degrees water remains in a solid state. But at 32 degrees, ice starts to melt. It may only be 1 degree in change, but that 1 degree is what makes all the difference. Too many people give up at 31 degrees, not realizing that they are so close to overcoming their plateau.
Setbacks Are Not Signs to Stop
As discouraging as it may be, setbacks are a normal part of personal growth. The key is to understand what caused the setback and how to correct your course back toward the path you want to be on. At the same time, learn to let go of the expectation that you will achieve perfection with everything you do. In other words, be patient with yourself and with the process.
Motivation vs Persistence
How often have you waited for the motivation to finish a project? Motivation feels good and often jump-starts our efforts to do something. Motivation is not, however, what finishes the job as it is completely based on “feeling.” Instead of waiting for a feeling to guide your actions, focus on the actual action. Consistently taking small actionable steps, day after day, will get you farther in a shorter amount of time than the short bursts of effort over a long period.
Allow Yourself Rest Breaks
Those who exercise religiously understand the importance of rest breaks for their bodies. Breaks for our mental health are equally important. So as you are working toward changing your life, remember to plan rest periods. Research shows that resting does more than help our body and mind refresh. It strengthens our immune system, lowers stress, helps our mood and mood and decision-making, and increases our creativity. Use rest breaks as part of your strategy to meet your goals and maintain the changes you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Celebrate Your Progress, Not Your “Success”
As you have hopefully found through this article, being patient with progress is also being patient with yourself. It’s important to celebrate along the way. You’ve probably heard the expression “take joy in the journey.” Celebrating large and (more importantly) small victories along the way is essential if you want to maintain the progress you’ve made. Small rewards may include a special movie night, dancing to your favorite song, or visiting a museum you’ve been wanting to go to. The most important thing is to congratulate yourself, so do something fun!
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