By Dr. Irma Campos, Licensed Psychologist
With the new year comes a long list of resolutions, goals, and aspirations. New Years’ resolutions are often well-intended and can lead to effective change with the appropriate goals, mindset, behavioral strategies, and environmental supports. When it comes to human behavior, change is not always simple. This is why ongoing commitment to and investment in your goal is so imperative. And what better time to start than now? I’ll briefly review two key factors in achieving the goals and growth you wish to see this new year.
1. Commitment: Commitment requires truthfully acknowledging the specific behavior you wish to change or engage in. It also requires the openness and willingness to do the difficult work (e.g., dealing with emotional and physical discomfort, facing some hard truths about yourself, challenging yourself to engage in action when it may seem like there are numerous barriers). This commitment cannot be considered simply short-term in most cases. Many of our resolutions (e.g., lifestyle changes, changes in our relationship dynamic) require ongoing efforts, so this mindset of unwavering yet self-compassionate commitment will help. To get started with committing to a defined vision, follow the brief steps below and review them every week:
-Define realistic short-term (1 month), mid-term (6 months) and long-term (3 years) goals as precisely as possible. Select only one goal for each term.
-Know the short-term, mid-term and long-term consequences of not enacting change. What will you lose or fail to gain?
2. Investment: Theres no such thing as a free lunch (your economics teacher’s favorite adage). To receive something, you must invest either your time, physical and spiritual energy, emotions, cognitions, behaviors, and/or finances. There is a reason you are seeking this opportunity for change, and that reason should drive you to feel the investment will yield returns (note: it most likely will if it’s an informed and committed investment). As a psychologist and leadership consultant, I sometimes see adults who struggle with making the financial or time-related investment in themselves because they focus extensively on providing support to their families. While this is admirable, everyone likely needs external support and investment in themselves at some point in their lives. Once reluctant individuals invest in the change they wish to see, they often look back and wonder why they did not do it sooner. So in this new year, let this old adage ring true: in order to help others, you must help yourself.
Author: Dr. Irma Campos, Licensed Psychologist & Leadership Consultant
Interface Consulting and Psychological Services in Tampa Bay offers psychoeducational testing, psychological testing, individual counseling, and leadership development consulting. We are here to assist you in addressing mental health, career and academic, and leadership development areas. We provide psychological and psychoeducational testing for ADD or ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disability, Intelligence, and more for children, adolescents, and adults.