Thriving Through Intentional Change: Your Wellness Journey

The case of januarys

January is so often the time where we make bold resolutions, ambitious goals, and extrapolate that from this moment forward we will take every action necessary to achieve these goals. Yet, as many of us well know know, these commitments can fade almost as quickly as they arise in our minds. The inner voice of criticism rising quickly after a few days or weeks of calm rationalization of why we “can’t” do the things today, but definitely will do them tomorrow….or next week…or, sadly, not.

I’d like to suggest an alternative this year. Rooted in the imagination of positive WHAT IF’s!

What if instead of setting massive external goals that are either (1) the result of shoulds or musts or oughts, or (2) massive leaps of change without the existing foundational behaviors and environments to support them, we reframed this time of year as an opportunity to begin to thrive through stepwise self-mastery?

To focus on intentional change and personal alignment. To create—starting with a small step, a sustainable and fulfilling path forward.

Looking inward rather than outward

This approach encourages a discarding the “shoulds” that someone or something has planted in your mind and looking instead toward what it is YOU truly want in order to be on the path to thriving.

Start with that. Then, consider looking in at the things you’re already good at - your natural and cultivated strengths; the things you value; the things you enjoy; those things you’re curious about. In short, take a look in at what drives you on a level that deeply resonates.

Make this January about harnessing those and bringing them forward with possibilty!

How To practically put this into action & move forward?

Fortunately, there’s a LOT of psychology and science we can lean on. One of my favorite approaches here is what’s known as the 5-D Cycle (of Appreciative Inquiry). Define. Discover. Dream. Design. Destiny. Usually facilitated by a trained coach, but here I’ll walk you through each of the steps so you can get a feel for the idea. At each step, get ready to turn inward and look for the good.

START HERE: BY DEFINING WHAT YOU WANT

As you aim at intentional change, consider what thriving means to you. It is typically quite personal; meaning different things to different people. What is it for you?

  • Does it look like having more, and more consistently-high energy each day?

  • Or, being stronger and feeling more capable?

  • Is it an improved sense of purpose and alignment with that purpose

  • Is it the creation of habits that overall enhance your longevity and enjoyment of life?

Ask yourself—”What specifically makes me feel like I’m doing really well…experiences…qualities….actions?

Get as specific as you can—this definition of Thriving will become your focus and your home-base beacon moving forward through the next steps.

NEXT, DISCOVER!

Next, recognize that you ALREADY HAVE so many tools that you can use to move forward.

So often we discount our strengths or think we can’t apply them in order to move toward our goals. We criticize ourselves, shy away from what we’re good at, and quickly get overwhelmed thinking we need to reinvent the wheel.

What actions, routines, support systems, thought processes, strengths (aka things you’re good at) have helped you to be successful in similar or even completely different scenarios or journeys of achievement in the past

How can you incorporate any or all of these to your current situation to move toward your definition of thriving?

DARE TO DREAM

Consider for a moment what incredible could look like! Unshackle your imagination fully to see what comes to mind. Allow yourself to free-think, for the moment without any judgement whatsoever—there’ll be plenty of time for that later. The more ideas, the better so open the floodgates and let them fly!.

What does IDEAL look like for you? What creative ways can you think of to make this come alive?

With a full suite of ideas, you can then start to evaluate and bring some of them into challenging, exciting and yet also reasonable images for your future.

DESIGNing

With a clearer sense of what you’re wanting, and understanding more about your strengths, values, what’s helped you in the past to be succesful in the past you’ve now also imagined what thriving will really look like for you.

Here’s your opportunity to begin to stitch together strategies and build into them with specific actions.

So, what feels like the first step?

What feels like the next step after that, to move closer toward your vision?

What might get in your way?

What challenges can you identify and plan for in order to have your plan feel possible, sustainable and inspiring?

DESTINY

Here is where the rubber really meets the road!

You’re putting the plan you’ve designed into action. You’re showing up. You’re doing. You’re experimenting. You’re winning. You’re learning. You’re growing more confident.

Already, you’re different - you can feel it and see it.

You’re reflecting. Observing through the lens of what’s going well, and appreciating the information and insights that each experimental action and experience brings along with it.

You learn about processes, but even more about yourself and how you interact with them.

THIS iterative experimental approach to actions, aligned with the strategies you’ve designed—built on the strengths, values, tools and environments leveraged along the way is GUARANTEED to bring the reality of THRIVING right into your hands. Game. Set. And Match!

how will you get yourself on the path to thriving today?

What Is The First Step That You Want To Take?

If you’re wanting more, and you’re ready to step forward in ways where a coaching guide will be of value, reach out. I’d love to help facilitate your journey toward thriving physically, mentally and living up to your true potential as you realize your dreams!

Feel free to reach out at any time and use me as a sounding board. As a Health & Wellbeing, Fitness Lifestyle Coach to high-performing guys over 35, breaking through noise and confusion to reclaim focus, energy, strength, confidence and fulfillment is principal focus of all my endeavors with clients..

Shoot me a message at jason@jasoncarnegiefitnesss.com, or reach out to me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Aloha!

Coach Jason