I heard a comment the other day that was discouraging.
“People think they are too far away from their goals to even try.”
– Jennifer Mackey-Mary
It was in the context of weight loss but could apply to any goal we might have.
My Perspective
I started thinking about what could be done.
The first thing I realized was that when we don’t want to try, we have lost hope.
So, how do we restore hope?
Restoring Hope
There are four elements to the hope equation.
Looking at adjusting all of them may move us to a place where we bring the goals a bit closer and restore the hope that our dreams are possible.
Here are the four things to consider:
- Reconsider What We Hope For: Consider the hope itself. Why do we want to achieve this dream? In the example of weight loss, maybe we need to shift from hoping to fit in an outdated wardrobe in the back of the closet to feeling healthy and confident in every outfit we put on. The goals to reach each of these hopes and dreams would be different.
- Shift our Goals: Sometimes the goals we set are just too large and daunting. To shift us in a place that it’s worth trying, we can break big goals into smaller pieces. To start the weight loss journey, we could set a goal of just 1 pound. When that is achieved, we could move to 5 pounds….and so on until we get where we want to go.
- Define the Habits that Create our Willpower: Once our hope and attainable goals are set, we can move to the habits that will get us there. I like this quote: “Eventually, I began to realize that my results had very little to do with the goals I set and nearly everything to do with the systems I followed.” – James Clear. Back to the example of weight loss, what are the habits that will meet the first goal. To lose 1 pound we likely don’t need to “run 5 miles daily”. What are three small habits that could achieve that goal. Maybe cut dessert in half daily, increase daily steps by 500, and replace one serving of carbohydrates with a vegetable.
- Identify Waypower if “Plan A” Doesn’t Work: If the habits you set aren’t achieving the goal, what will you adjust and try differently. Continuing our example, you might change your habits to drop dessert completely or increase your movement or a completely different activity.
Your Turn
Have you ever had a goal that you gave up on because it was just too big to tackle?
Which element of the hope equation did you struggle most with?
Do the steps above inspire you to reconsider the hope you have lost?