You’ve met your goal – congratulations!
To get to this place, you had to make many changes. Some were small, some were large, some were trivial and some were absolutely life altering.
Now comes the job of maintaining those changes and keeping that goal alive in your life. You’re riding high right now, but what will happen when real life creeps back in (bad habits included)? What will you do when day-to-day pressures or complacency threaten your new found habits and lifestyle? You can plan ahead and come up with a maintenance strategy that will meet those challenges head on.
Hopefully, you’ve already had some time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished and what it took to get you here. Staying in touch with both of those things is crucial to maintaining your goal.
Otherwise, after awhile you might stop acknowledging what a huge deal it was that you made these changes. And that leaves you vulnerable to letting them slip. As well, you might minimize the incredible challenges you met and triumphed over. And that leaves you vulnerable to new challenges.
What’s Fear Got To Do With It?
You may have never come this far before, and you’re probably feeling fearful about slipping back and losing what you’ve gained. And yet, you might be afraid of asking for help to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Objectivity is key here. While the best way to get an objective perspective is from someone that’s outside of the situation (your coach, a trusted friend, a supportive family member), there are also things you can do on your own.
Writing things down can be extremely helpful. When something is in front of you in black and white, it’s much easier to evaluate.
Maintain Your Dream
To answer the following questions, look back at the journal entries, worksheets and tracking sheets you may have kept during the process of meeting your goal. Or, simply answer them in this moment:
- What is the dream goal that you’ve reached?
- What does it mean to you and how do you feel about accomplishing this?
- What challenges did you need to overcome to meet this goal?
- Which challenge are you most proud of facing?
- What challenges might be facing you as you maintain your dream?
- What strategies will help you meet these challenges?
The farther you get along your journey of growth and self-discovery, the more you will see that life is a constant cycle of change. You’ll work towards and meet many different goals. And when you get to the maintenance stage, it helps to remember where you came from.