What a rollercoaster March was! And who knows what April has in store…
It’s likely that some of the plans you made have been thrown off course last month. In fact, if they haven’t you are probably in the minority!
So what do you do when things fall off course?
Well firstly, you have to remember there is always something you can do.
This article will guide you to realigning your mindset and give you some tools to find new actions to take.
1. Get focused on the good
There a lot of things you can do to improve your mindset - In this context we are going to look specifically at your mindset around your goals.
If you feel like you're making good progress, you will feel more motivated, and inspired, to come up with new actions and ideas.
BUT If you feel like you're making zero progress and aren’t getting anywhere - then you aren’t going to be feeling very motivated to keep going or be open to new ideas and solutions.
There is a really easy way to get your mindset and motivation back up if you’re feeling down though.
Remember all that you have already achieved.
We are SO good at reminding ourselves of all the things we have’t achieved - and forgetting about all of the thins we have actually done!
So take a look back at January, February and March and remind yourself of all the things you have achieved. This will be an instant confidence and motivation boost!
In the new April - June goal planner you will find a section at the beginning to help you think about the things you have achieved and there is also space each week to note down something you are proud of.
These are great to look back on whenever you feel you need a bit of a boost! And making a note of what you are proud of each week somewhere is a great habit to get into.
2. New short term actions
There’s no point in totally replanning things right now - as we have no idea what we are planning for!
So instead - it’s a good time to think about short term actions to get you closer to your goals.
Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with new ideas - so we have to force ourselves out of current thinking and to come up with new solutions. If we know there is something that works, then why look at anything else?
Take a few minutes and mind map at least 20 actions you can take to reach your goal. The first five might be easy, but things might get tricky when you get to 15 and higher. But stick to it! This will force you to come up with new solutions.
Don't be afraid to write things down which are unusual, wacky or out there.
And take particular note of things which make you feel uncomfortable or make you think ' I couldn't do that' - actions that make you push yourself are important for self development.
You should end up with a few ideas in three areas -
Short term actions and workarounds - for example
- Meeting your fitness goals by going for a run outside, or doing an online exercise class rather than the going to the gym.
- Running online workshops if you usually hold them in person
- If you have a shop or sell products in person, can you open an online store? Or can you sell your customers gift cards to use in store when you are back open?
Long term actions - You might be in a position where there are no short term actions which will generate immediate results. So this is a good time to think long term. For example
- Looking for a new job. If you are finding that there are no opportunities then think about how you can make yourself the best candidate. Learn a new skill, do an online course, update your CV and get ready.
- You can't work right now or have been furloughed - If you are a hairdresser and aren’t open right now, can you be further developing relationships with your clients? Tips for dying your own hair for example? Or make up tutorials?
- If you’re a coach or mentor - this is a great time to build relationships with potential clients and support them through this time.
Letting things go and taking a pause
Sometimes there might not be much you can do. So the trick here is to actively decide to let something go and replace it with something else. Taking this active decision is better than just letting things happen to you.
See the good in choosing to focus elsewhere - pick one of those goals you wanted to achieve but didn't have time for perhaps.