Hey,
And welcome to Evolving Self.
Developing self-control and building productive habits is a much bigger challenge when the goals we set are outcome-focused.
Yes,
Being able to tick off a goal that has a certain deadline attached provides us with structure and feedback.
But oftentimes,
The price we pay for that is that our motivation depends on this time-bound goal.
As soon as we've reached it,
We tend to become more careless with our hard-earned habits and routines that we built along the way.
In order to have more long-lasting effects,
We need to set goals that are identity-based.
If our goals become more fundamental to who we are,
We won't identify so much with our results anymore,
These fleeting point-in-time successes and failures,
But more with the long-term direction we're following.
We're not giving a concert anymore.
We're musicians.
We're not writing a blog article.
We're writers.
And we're not running a marathon.
We're runners.
The first step to implement this is to gain a clear picture of the person we want to become.
Psychological research shows that visualizing a positive version of one's possible future self promotes effort,
Persistence,
Motivation,
And performance.
So let's go ahead and find out how your goals contribute to becoming the person you want to become.
Before we start.
Consciously remind yourself that you've taken this time out of your day to strengthen your inner drive.
So keep up the commitment for the remainder of this session,
And get ready to be here now,
And find your flow.
Close your eyes and allow yourself to relax.
Letting yourself sink deep into the surface beneath you.
And taking deep breaths in.
And long breaths out.
And you can imagine standing on top of a staircase with five steps.
Picture the handrail.
The width of the steps.
And material the staircase is made of.
And in just a moment,
I will count down from 5 to 0.
And with every number I count.
You can imagine going one step further down the staircase.
And relax deeper and deeper with every step you take.
5.
Going down the first step Take your time.
Four.
Slowly descending.
And letting any tension melt away.
3 further and further.
Too.
Almost there.
.
.
One.
Going down the last step.
Zero.
You are completely calm.
Completely relaxed.
Dwell for a little while on this pleasant feeling of calm.
How does it feel for you right now?
And in this comfortable state of relaxation.
I invite you to recall a goal you're currently pursuing,
Or a certain habit you're trying to build.
Perhaps something at work.
Or in your personal life.
May be the goal to make your mental fitness training a routine.
Take your time to find such a goal or habit.
And if you think about it.
Maybe you can tell which type of person usually achieves goals like this.
May be a very conscientious person.
An open-minded one.
Is spontaneous.
Curious.
Or empathetic person.
Or someone with a strong go-getter mindset.
And it doesn't matter where in the process of pursuing that goal you are standing right now.
And whether this comes very easy or rather difficult to you.
Because in the end,
Success is much more than a point-in-time experience,
Isn't it?
So I wonder if you can broaden your focus.
To see the bigger picture.
And how the process of achieving this goal contributes to becoming the person you always wanted to be.
And to do so.
You can imagine that some time has passed.
Maybe one year.
Or whatever time makes sense for you.
Because.
You have succeeded.
You have not only achieved your goal,
But can also proudly look back on how you have grown as a person.
Perhaps you've built grit and perseverance to refine certain skills,
Internalize the mindsets you once adored in others,
Or maybe developed specific habits or characteristics that helped you get where you are now.
Who are you in this future?
Which mindsets,
Characteristics,
And attitudes define you?
Take your time to envision this desirable future you.
And from this future perspective.
You may realize that not only committing yourself to this one goal,
But committing yourself to develop yourself further.
To grow.
And best yourself day after day,
Had a much bigger impact on your progress.
What do you love about this future you?
Maybe you can sense certain feelings growing within you is their confidence.
Drive.
Or something else.
And that's why you can take a moment to acknowledge your personal journey and development.
And all the moments where you decided to overcome internal or external barriers and give your very best.
Perhaps even finding words that describe who you have become.
Reminding yourself that you identify with a certain activity.
For example,
By telling yourself something like,
I am an athlete.
Or identifying yourself with certain characteristics and mindsets,
Such as,
I am gritty,
I am optimistic,
Or something completely different.
Take your time to complete the sentence and silently repeat this affirmation a few times to yourself.
Exactly.
And you can now think of a specific situation in the near future.
Maybe already today or tomorrow,
Where you want to take the first steps to becoming this person.
Awakening dedication and optimism.
And letting the process of developing yourself further and growing as a person become the goal.
Then set yourself the intention to recall the mental image of this future you.
And to remind yourself of the affirmation you just formulated when the crucial moment has come.
Nice.
Then gradually deepen your breath again taking strong deep breaths in through your nose and strongly breathing out again Gently waking up your body Once more in.
And strongly out.
And just when you feel a fresh wave of focus rise,
Open your eyes again.
Congratulations on strengthening your inner drive and sharpening the image of who you want to become.
With this mental imagery,
You practiced to shift your focus away from simply achieving a certain goal toward identifying with the process and growing as a person.
This perspective will help you to best yourself and develop steadfast grit and motivation.
I'll see you next time.
