Page 16 - AreaNewsletters "Apr 2021" issue

Springtime!
It’s a Good Time to Renew Goals
By Dawn Gabriel, MA, LPC, Founder, Owner of Authentic Connections Counseling Center
It’s been a few months since the new year started and with Springtime upon us, it gets us thinking about the new life coming. Spring is a great time to take another look at our own life and what goals we need to renew. Have you accomplished some goals you have set? Do you need a fresh start to look at them? It is not too late!
First, let’s take a look at what might get in the way of setting and achieving our goals. From the work I do, I often hear what is really going on in people’s heads. We all have our own (sometimes not so obvious) limiting beliefs around self, others, money, family, e.g. As you truly stop and look deeper at what you may be telling yourself, you may hear some things like “I am not good enough” or “I don’t deserve to be successful, or happy.” Sometimes you may need a professional to sit down and help you understand where this is coming from and other times just taking a moment to slow down and dig a little deeper may show you these limiting beliefs.
Other things that can hinder us from going after our goals can be comparison, fears, self sabotage and poor boundaries. Once you gure out what might be going on, let’s move on to what can you do about it?
Get Clear on your Vision
place to start for what you need to change. After you do some thinking, write it down. Keep writing. Don’t hold back at rst. You can rewrite it as many times after that. But start with just writing your vision down.
Get Real
This is where you need to make your goals realistic and measurable. Measurable means be really speci c; like asking yourself “how can I tell if I met my goal?” What does that look like? Realistic means, you need to be honest with yourself. What types of changes need to happen for you to reach your goals and go after your vision? Do you need to learn how to acknowledge your emotions more so they don’t control you? Do you need to set healthy boundaries in the relationships in your life? Keep writing and get some of this out on paper. It is a super helpful exercise to often write things out.
A lot of times we simply need to take responsibility for what you can control and let go of what you can’t. We have to stop caring what other people think. Boundaries can feel counterintuitive at rst because we are so used to doing life the same way. However, boundaries can really help us get more out of life.
This can start with noticing what you are
wanting, what you feel passionate about;
or it can also come from discomfort. Notice
where you are not happy and where you are
feeling stuck. This can actually be a good
April 2021 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters” 16 Continued...
HEALTH • WELLNESS • LIFESTYLE