April 2, 2020

FROM PREPARATION TO ACTION: GETTING STARTED
 
When our life gets busy and our sense of well-being and balance is affected, we often forget to take care of ourselves or we look for quick fixes or solutions to problems. Building self-care into your daily or weekly routine, can greatly improve resilience and prevent burnout.”
 
The above quote is from the Mental Health First Aid COVID-19 Self Care & Resilience Guide, Mental Health Commission of Canada. You can read more here: https://www.mhfa.ca/en/blog/mental-health-first-aid-covid-19-self-care-resilience-guide.
 
Whether our goals are personal or professional, the strategies for success are much the same: We make a good plan and stick to it. Here's how we stick to our goals, even when it seems too difficult:
 
1. WE MAKE BOLD GOALS.
Harder goals mean more satisfaction.
 
2. WE MAKE TANGIBLE GOALS.
We make our goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.
 
3. WE IDENTIFY SMALL ACTION STEPS WE CAN TAKE.
We start with small steps. We aim small first.
 
4. WE WRITE A LIST OF ALL THE REASONS WE SHOULD STICK TO OUR GOALS.
We understand the importance of pursuing our goals and commit to making them happen.
 
5. WE TRACK OUR PROGRESS.
What gets measured, gets done.
 
6. WE PLAN AHEAD FOR TOUGH TIMES.
We create a strategy to help us stay on track no matter what.
 
7. WE CELEBRATE SMALL MILESTONES ALONG THE WAY.
Recognizing and celebrating success is a very powerful motivator.
 
8. WE GET SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSE TO US.
Almost anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.
 
9. WE HAVE GRIT.
Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals.
 
And if you have 6 minutes to spare today, we recommend you spend them on this TED Talk by Angela Duckworth, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Grit. The Power of Passion and Perseverance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8
 
Wishing you all a happy Thursday,
The Well-being Task Force