GOALS
I’ve always said counseling works best if it’s “goal directed”. The degree to which we work on our goals in between the sessions is the degree to which counseling is successful. So if clients do nothing from the time they leave one session and the time they come back to another session nothing changes. If we want things to change in our life we have to set goals. At the time of this posting we are approaching another new year but that is not the only time to set a new goal. Every day is a good day for a new goal.
Most of us resist change even if we don’t like to admit it. Sometimes we are comfortable with the way things are even if they are painful, because the fear of changing things is even more intimidating than change. Some of the reason we resist change are:
• Fear of failure that is rooted in past hurt or soul wounds
• Fear of the unknown
• Not feeling worthy of success or happiness perhaps because of negative messages we came to believe in childhood.
Some guidelines to help you in achieving your goals include:
• Create specific goals rather than global goals. (an example of a global goal is “I want to be a better person”)
• Write out the goals and read them regularly.
• Formulate a series of steps to achieve your goals. (Step 1, step 2, step 3, etc.)
• Anticipate problems and roadblocks by developing contingency plans.
• Find a way to measure your progress.
• Make your goals know to a friend and ask them to hold you accountable.
As we approach a new year remember to set systematic goals rather than global resolutions. Why wait for the New Year, start today!