So, you have slowed down a little.  You had a look around and spent some time looking in the mirror.  You are ready to make some changes. You are feeling overwhelmed and doubtful that you can succeed but you have come to a point where there really is no choice but to make some changes – there is no going back.  This will take a lot of time and energy so lets look at some ways to make sure that none of it is wasted.

How do you get started?  Do your research.  Find people who have successfully made the kind of changes that you are considering and read their stories and consider their advice.  Look at several different approaches to your challenge, gather the core similarities, and use your head and heart to determine which ones fit you and who you are, and who you are becoming.  Be willing to open your mind to new perspectives – the old ones have kept you in the life that no longer fits.  Be careful at this point; don’t let the research become your life.  Some people become lifetime change shoppers, continuing to look around and never end up taking the plunge into life.  One morning just get started and your road will rise up to meet you.

Relax, take a deep breath and take heart that you do not have to make this shift in one big leap.  Break it down into manageable, sane steps.  Remember that any journey of a thousand miles does indeed begin with one step, and that is really all that you have to do.  Wiggle those toes and slide that foot forward and it will carry you right into the next step.  It is overwhelming when you try to

swing the pendulum from one side all the way to the other in one big motion.  This kind of move can be very scary and it does serve to feed adrenaline junkies, change addicts, and distraction masters with a fix of good vibes.  Unfortunately the honeymoon with the new lifestyle is soon over, the rush is gone, and the day-to-day reality challenges come back into focus and quitting the new ways becomes an attractive option.  People think to themselves “I have made all of these changes and here I am, still sitting with myself and my issues, nothing has changed, these new ways don’t work for me, it’s all a scam, I give up”.  Next they revert to their old ways but now have excuses of experiences of ineffective ways to comfort them back in their old lifestyle.  So don’t make your lifestyle change project a big leap, break it down into small, manageable, not too exciting, practical steps to help ease your body, mind and spirit into a new way.

As you embark on your journey of change and healing find a pace that works for you and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.  Some people are tortoises and others are hares.  If you go about things in a way that is too fast or too slow for you it can feel like swimming upstream.  If you don’t have much awareness of your personal pace ask those close you what they think, they have been observing you for a while now.

Don’t forget to gather a personal support team around you as you head off down your new path.  Find true friends and others who have successfully made similar changes and can cheer for you when the going gets tough. Acknowledge that it will get tough and that is why you have waited this long to do this.  Distance yourself from negative naggers and unsupportive people.  Unfortunately you will soon discover that some family, friends, and others in your midst would rather that you remain a cohort in support of the old “not working anymore” lifestyle.  They may want to hold you back, see you fail or may even be jealous that you have the courage to make a change.  More often than not this hurdle is a big one for many and they choose to give their power away to those who fear the change and drop their change plans to maintain the peace and status quo.  Maintaining relationships with holdbackers can become additional excuses for not moving forward.

If you have read this far by now you may be thinking “Is change really worth it?”  My simple answer, with no need for explanation is YES!

A good dose of remembering that you are human – imperfect and capable of making mistakes, goes a long way to forgiving yourself when you fall off of your change wagon.  Within every fall is a valuable lesson if you choose to learn it.  So get up and get going again.

You know the funny thing is that the life that we aspire to (aspire = allowing spirit) is waiting for us.  We were born for it and that is why we have a desire for it.  It is everywhere waiting for us.  We simply can’t see it, believe that it is possible or even imagine it because we have been trained and educated away from that possibility.  You probably won’t experience instant success when you embark on your journey to find that life and undoubtedly you will fall flat on your face more than a few times. But if you give yourself a chance to meet and live that life you may have an interesting ride along the way.