The time for reflection and goal-setting is upon us. January, the first month of the year, provides us an excellent opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, congratulate ourselves, reset, and contemplate on the future. Today, we explore the practice of goal setting.
The month of January was named after the Roman god, Janus. This ancient god represents many of the processes we all undertake as we enter a new year: beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. This god is also known to have two faces, one looking back to the past and one looking forward to the future. If you, like myself, are planning out your year, starting a new goal, or looking for a transition in your life, infusing a bit of Janus into your life is a wonderful way to begin.
When we set goals, a couple of things happen. First, your body activates a part of your brain to release a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reward. This boost of dopamine is an excellent motivator to get you started. However, this boost may fade after a week or two, and we may struggle to progress with our goals. If this is the case, our mind and subconscious programming often reinforce negative self-beliefs and self-doubt, which can lead to further decreased motivation or giving up altogether.
So, how do we break this cycle? The urge to transform our lives is so strong, yet how do we get past our subconscious programming to make a successful change? Stephen Covey said it best when he said, “Start with the end in mind.” We will utilize this and Robert Dilts’ Logical Levels of Change Pyramid as a visual to assist with goal setting moving forward.
In the Logical Levels concept, Dilts said that most people start at the bottom of the pyramid in the environment and behaviors category to accomplish their goals. For example, let’s say a goal is to lose 20 pounds. To take this approach to goal setting, you would:
1) Sign up for a gym membership, which will change your environment.
2) Start a diet and go to the gym three days a week, which would change your behavior.
Now, why is this a problem? (1) Statistics show that when you try to change your environment and behavior, 77% of people can make the change last for one week; however, only 19% percent can make the change last longer than two years. (2) These statistics are interesting when considering the dopamine released at the goal’s onset. Ultimately, it is more difficult to create lasting change when we focus on changing that outside of ourselves.
How do we move forward and set successful goals for ourselves? According to Stephen R. Covey, we Start with the end in mind. We begin with ourselves, our spirit, and our identity (as seen in the Dilts pyramid). Once we embody our goals with our spirit and identity, our capabilities, behaviors, and environment will fall into place.
For Example:
Spirit: represents the whom. “I appreciate my body for its capabilities and recognize its limitations.”
Identity: represents the who. “I am proud of my body as a physically and emotionally healthy person.”
Values & Beliefs: represents the why. “Why am I setting this goal: for better health and to feel better about myself physically and emotionally.” Once I release my why, I can then identify my capabilities.
Capabilities: represents the how. How will I lose 20 pounds? This is where I will develop my skills. “I will exercise three days a week at the gym and go to yoga two days a week.” Once these are identified, I move on to my behavior.
Behavior: represents the what: “I will do weight lifting, HIIT, and cardio at the gym.”
Environment: represents the when and where: “I will work out at the gym.”
If you are embarking on goal setting or infusing a bit of Roman god Janus into your life this January, reconnecting with your spirit and identity is the best way to create long-term change. Happy goal setting!
By Megan Fuhrman-Wheeler
Her goal is to spread herbal knowledge to rural America in a safe, constructive, and accessible manner.
Owner, MEGAN & CO. Herbal Apothecary + Teahouse
www.meganandco.com
Trained at the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism
Certified Clinical Herbalist
Certified Clinical Nutritionist
Certified Flower Essence Practitioner
1 )Wikipedia contributors. “Janus.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Nov. 2024. Web. 10 Nov. 2024.
2) Clare Kumar. ‘ABCS of Behavior Change.’ Clare Kumar. Inclusive & Sustainable Performance. 10 Nov. 2024. Web. 10 Nov. 2024.
3) SkillsYouNeed. “Dilts’ Logical Levels.’ Skills You Need. Helping You Develop Life Skills. 10 Nov. 2024. Web. 10 Nov. 2024.
4) Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. The use of individualized goal setting to facilitate behavior change in women with multiple sclerosis. Vol.35, Iss 2, (Apr 2003).
