Do you sometimes struggle to maintain new habits and behaviours, getting pulled back into older more familiar ways of being and doing? February is that time of the year when old patterns and habits can be difficult to shift, or new patterns and habits hard to establish.

After the rush of Christmas and getting through the January blues, February can be challenging.   Some people may need support to stay on track, deal with any underlying issues, or start a programme that will take them to the next level.

Whatever is holding you back, whether it’s stress, anger, anxiety, depression, fear, panic attacks, trauma, phobias, grief, weight gain, obsessive thoughts or anything that puts a barrier between you and your desired outcomes, don’t give up.  Learning how to manage your mind, with intention, is the key foundational skill that will free you from the past and unlock a rewarding future.

If we continue to do the same things every day, we get the same results and nothing changes. Like taking the same well-trodden path through a field of tall grass and rocky terrain, we automatically find ourselves on the path that we have taken many times before. We don’t have to even think about it, it’s easy and we know where we are going.  Just like that, the brain likes us to maintain the status quo in our lives in order to save energy.

That's all very well if you are happy with the path you are on, but what if you want something different, something better in your life? What if you want to see yourself doing new things, meeting new people, learning and growing, finding new opportunities for happiness and success?

When you decide to go a different route, carve out a brand new path for yourself, it may be effortful at first.  Deliberate attention must be paid to each step going forward.  There may be uncertainty about reaching your destination, you may not even know for sure where the new path will lead you.  But when your reasons for changing are stronger than your reasons for staying the same, that’s when you know you are ready to take the first step, outside the familiar comfort zone, and into a new territory.

The brain likes to take us down the same path again and again, it’s easy, it doesn’t require any effort, you know where you are going and you get the same results.  As long as you are surviving, playing out the same old story, you are saving brain energy and you are safe.  As soon as you decide to make a change, the brain may send you thoughts and feelings that try to pull you back, but when the perceived benefits are worth it, you can manage your mind, keep your brain happy, and make the change, one step at a time.  Then it’s about walking down this new pathway, again and again.

Momentum keeps you going, inspiration keeps you excited and repetition makes it stick.

New paths open up all the time, new opportunities present themselves to us, new ideas and inspirations appear in moments of stillness, it’s up to us to notice them and take action, if we choose to.  Remember too, nothing is set in stone, if something doesn't work out for you, choose a different path.  New stories are exciting, even if they are a little scary at times, but overall, when we have the courage to follow our dreams, we reap the rewards big time.

If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success. - John D. Rockefeller

If you need a helping hand, get in touch - email mary@innerspacehypnotherapy.co.uk