Don’t make goals for 2020 - Cultivate a Transformative Lifestyle

Education, December 29, 2019

Rather than spending time on goals, spend time on cultivating a transformative environment.

New Years is a time when people evaluate the year and make goals for the next. In coaching and Physiotherapy I have been taught about the importance of SMART goals - make them Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timed. This type of goal creation has its place but we need to have a stronger overarching identity to give any short term goal the environment to stimulate growth and positive ongoing transformation.  

 

If you want sustained growth you need to create a growth environment. You want to align as many behaviour's or habits as possible to create sustained momentum for change. Too many people spend too much time creating SMART goals that are self sabotaged with entrenched behaviour's not allowing the newly created shiny goal to ever take hold. Most New Years goals never eventuate as it’s similar to planting a new seedling in a desert. You have to cultivate the environment to allow goals to take seed, establish roots, then bear fruit. 

If you have ever planted a vegetable garden you will understand this important concept- preparing the soil takes far longer than planting and is integral for growth.

 

Rather than writing goals this New Years how about figuring out WHO you want to be, your identity; then examine your habits and assess if they align with that person. Start to cultivate a lifestyle that fits with your vision by culling behaviour's that block the identity you envision and replace them with behaviour's that allow sustained transformation over a lifetime.  Starting to self evaluate isn’t as exciting as making up a new glamorous goal, and can be a little uncomfortable as you have really sit down and be honest with yourself. As Socrates said - “the un-examined life is not worth living” Too many people make New Years goals to create exciting conversation that just covers over the real hard graft that will yield real transformative, long term results. 

Pull some weeds (take away habits that take away precious space and time), cultivate the soil (replace with behaviour that creates who YOU want to become), nourishing your environment so any new goals can actually align with who you want to be, and take root and sprout. 

 

Choose lifestyle transformation in 2020, not another year of scattering seeds on dirt.  Continuing to throw shiny goals on top of an un-examined poorly cultivated life will never allow you to move towards your potential and true purpose.

 

My book 'Holistic Human - Expansive Wellness Habits for thriving humans on a healthy planet' is available through my site for NZ and Australia  https://everfit.co.nz/Store/holistic-human-book 

 

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