I had a lovely metaphorical moment of my own this morning, when I looked up from my work to see a butterfly attempting to escape from a window inside the porch.
The porch has a lot of glass and in the few moments that I noticed it; the butterfly fluttered from side to side banging into the glass repeatedly. Even though it had tried the same actions moments previously, it continued to try to break through the glass with its tiny body and beautiful wings.
I nipped out quickly and opened the door, cupped the butterfly in my hands and it immediately came to rest; then, as I opened my hands it paused for a moment before fluttering, then flying off to a nearby buddleia tree.
I almost felt the sense of relief that the butterfly experienced, in its short life I wondered what percentage of its time it had spent in the porch.
Like the butterfly many of us continue to bang our heads against the proverbial wall repeatedly – going to a job we don’t like, feeling stressed at work or at home and being unable to see the way out.
Having your head down, working long hours, juggling, achieving, stressing or being in a negative relationship is a self-perpetuating spiral. It is so hard to see the way out if you are ‘stuck in the locked porch,’ things pass you by and you can’t get to see them, it’s like being stuck in a jar without being able to read the label.
It can seem a massive undertaking to make life changes, when in fact there are many ways to make it easier; here is a small starter process to get you going.
First Steps to Achieving the Change You Want
1. It may seem simple but dentify your preferred way is to make notes – on your phone, tablet, laptop, a whiteboard, or pen and paper. Make sure it is something you have access to easily and regularly, that you will go back to.
2. Commit yourself to an initial two-hour period of time, where you can process what you want to achieve. If you don’t think you have enough time in a day to allow yourself two hours, what can you change? Alternately, get up earlier – it’s just two hours, one day, that could change your life.
3. Write down anything positive that comes to mind. Allow your mind to flow freely, what will make you happy? What is important to you for your immediate and long-term future? Where do you want to be? What do you want to be doing? How does it fit with your values? Today is to set your goal, your vision and it is important to keep the vision positive.
4. If negative thoughts or blocks appear, write them somewhere else, you can deal with them at another stage. If you find yourself writing 'I don't want to be doing this,' then cross it out and write what you do
want to be doing. It is always best to go towards something to increase motivation, if you are moving away from something the further you get, the more your motivation will drop.
5. Close your eyes and visualise yourself having already achieved your goal today. See how it positively affects your work-life, home-life, and general wellbeing. Feel how amazing it feels being released from what has been holding you back, having achieved your goals.
6. Know now you have taken the first step that you can visualise this each night before you go to sleep, replay it like a film in your mind. Bring it to mind each morning when you wake.
So now your subconscious mind is open to what you want it to do, it will be much more aware of opportunities and openings for change that present themselves to you. You may go on with your daily routines and even if you are too busy to come up for air, subconsciously you will be on alert through your brain’s reticular activating system. All it took was 2 hours.
NLP strategies and hypnotherapy techniques are brilliant ways to help you leap forward in your career and in life; for those who like to do things themselves there are plenty of books and web content available.
If you want to move it forward a faster pace, would like more structure or steps, or if you have trouble identifying what it is you want to change and visualising where you want to be, then seek out help from an expert.
If you would like to find out more about or from me, then please do get in touch at:
karen@thehealingmind.co.uk or 07939 865111; alternately use the contact button below and I will get straight back to you.