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Structures to help you remember

Guest post by: Victoria Cook

Article Overview: In order to MAKE the change, you need to REMEMBER to do it. Good intentions aren’t enough. Life is busy! I get that. So, how do you remember to keep the key actions, habits, and changes for success in the forefront?

Structures to help you remember

I've recently posted three articles on EvanCarmichael about making positive changes:Can you take a baby step?: 3 Keys to getting and staying in action; Did you pick a good one?: 5 keys to creating a more positive attitude; and Are you changing for good? However, in order to MAKE the change, you need to REMEMBER to do it. Good intentions aren’t enough.

Life is busy! I get that. If you’re like me, you are juggling the demands of your profession, managing a household, caring for your family, maintaining a variety of relationships, volunteering, and maybe trying to squeeze in a long lost hobby. Can you recall when you had a hobby?! So, how do you remember to keep the key actions, habits, and changes for success in the forefront?

When clients desire to make progress in an area, we use special reminders to help them remember. In coaching we call these reminders “structures”. Structures are a device to help create focus and discipline to get done the things deemed important. They help you to hang onto and remember whatever it is you are trying to do (create a new habit, recite your affirmations, or accomplish a specific goal). When we’re in the midst of a challenging situation, structures are there to be the trigger that reminds us to focus on the bigger picture of what we’re after. But they only work when people notice them. This leads to learning and new habits and ultimately to the actions required to get where you want to be!

If you have ever watched my favorite Christmas movie, It’ s a Wonderful Life, you saw George Bailey’ s Uncle Billy trying to use structures, though not very successfully). Uncle Billy would tie a piece of string around his finger to help him remember to stop at the bank. I suppose if his structure HAD worked, we wouldn't have had such a great story!

Here are some structures successfully used by some of my clients:

A specific picture to capture the essence of a goal or view of the bigger picture

Changing their screen saver message to remind them of their new habit or goal

Leaving themselves a special voice mail message

Set an alarm on their watch or appointment reminder in an electronic calendar

Put a sticky note by the phone or on the bathroom mirror

Invite friends over once a month. This can be a great structure to ensure you get the house cleaned or keep up on relationships.

Send yourself an e-mail

Put an appointment on your calendar

Have a regularly scheduled appointment or call with a friend, mentor, or COACH to check in on progress made

Ask a friend to send you a predesigned postcard once a month with encouragement or a reminder

Whatever works for you!

Your Guilt-Free Assignment:

Look over your goals and pick two or three tasks, habits, or reminders that will help you move forward on what’s important to you.

Create a structure to help you remember. It can be one of the ideas listed above or something all together different, creative, and suited to you.

Begin using the structures and see how well it works (or doesn’t). If it doesn’t, try something different! There are no failures, only learning’s!

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