Resolution Momentum

By: Nick Smith, LCPC

If you started this year with a resolution, I first want to congratulate you on making a commitment to change. I hope this post serves as some encouragement on your journey. There is no doubt that this journey will be difficult at times but here are some ideas to help keep you going.

1. Start Small: Typically the “Go Big or Go Home” mentality leads many people to just “go home.” If you can start making small changes here at the beginning of the year, you can build momentum. It’s better to frustrated about feeling like you can do more than to feel frustrated by the daily difficulty of it.
   
2. Change is difficult. If it weren’t, you would have done it already. Remember this when your mind starts to condemn you for being “weak” or “slow” or “unable.”
   
3. If one day you want to quit, do something small. If you committed to going to the gym, then go for 5 minutes. If you committed to eat more greens, then eat one leaf of spinach. But achieving your goal in a small way will help momentum.
   
4. Reassess goals often. At the beginning of the year it’s easy to say, “I’m going to go to the gym 5 days a week,” then come to remember after the first week how difficult that is. It’s possible that you have overcommitted and that’s ok. Overcommitment helps to see what a more realistic goal could look like. Also, life circumstances change and we have to reassess our goals in those times. 
   

Achieving your goal is possible! Try to stay positive and surround yourself with people who support you. You can get there! 

How Therapy Works

This week’s Blog article was written by me, your host, Nicholas Smith.  As I walk through the waiting room at Heritage, I’m reminded that coming to counseling can be an intimidating thing.  I wrote this post to give people an idea of what counseling is like in a general way, to help ease the nerves a bit.

Coming to see a counselor for the first time can be and often is a nerve racking experience.  This is a totally natural reaction.  It doesn’t always feel normal to tell a complete stranger the details of your life that are difficult to share, even with those you are closest with.  You don’t have to share everything all at one time.  Share as you feel comfortable to do so.  Also, therapy in our society is an experience often shrouded with mystery and lots of misconceptions.