Don’t STOP. START.

I am going to throw a novel concept at you all here. When all the social media wellness gurus talk about behaviour change and making ‘life-altering improvements to mind and body there is often this underlying advice that you need to STOP doing something to achieve your results.

In this article, I am going to propose that you don’t STOP doing anything, that instead, you focus on what you will START to do.

Negative connotations

The very nature of the word stop doesn’t really inspire the beginning of an important change to take place. Additionally, it also suggests that something is going to need to be removed, ceased or prevented and perhaps you actually enjoyed that something, but it just wasn’t moving you towards your goals.

When you start something, more often than not you stop doing something else for example if you start exercising in the morning you perhaps stop going to bed as late, stop lying in bed as long in the morning and you stop avoiding exercise. All as a consequence of starting to do something.

The brain is incredibly powerful, just by reframing that change to something positive you are going to start doing, you have almost switched off that fear of change button which sees us not make a sustainable change or indeed any change at all.

People don’t always like change

For some people a change is to be avoided at all costs, the unfamiliar isn’t appealing and their comfort zone is the place to be. For others, change and challenge is growth and really refreshing.

What is clear though is that most people aren’t so keen on surprise change which they don’t really want/perceive to be needed. But when it does happen two easy things you can do to manage this change is to START doing something and don’t consciously STOP doing anything. Make that change positive. The next easy tip deserves a bit more of explanation.

Start where you are

It is very easy to get overwhelmed with a huge project, task or goal. The usually manifests itself in procrastination, investing your time and energy into the wrong areas and second-guessing yourself at every turn.

So, give this a try. Take a step back and see exactly where you are right now, take stock, take some measurements if you want to, but simply recognise where you are right now. The next step is to ignore the giant mountain in front of you and put one foot in front of the other and START with something. No matter how small or insignificant you think it, then continue to accumulate bit by bit until you start to feel you are making some inroads.

When you change the way you approach a big project, goal or challenge you have the power to change the outcome.

So don’t STOP. START.

Talk soon.

Josh

The Practitioner Wellness Guy