CBT Practitioner Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
CBT Practitioner (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Can Help You Achieve Your Goals –
With the start of the new year, we all focus on New Year’s Resolutions, to have a more progressive and productive 2021 with clear Goals. And we all know about ‘SMART’ Goal setting – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable and Time-bound.
However, we struggle. How many goals could you achieve in the past few years? The greatest enemies of success and happiness are our own negative thoughts and emotions. As per CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), our behaviour is directly linked to our thoughts and emotions. In order to be truly happy and successful, you have no choice but to free yourself from the negative emotions, thoughts and beliefs. You have to look at your-own-self as a powerful person, self-determined, and self-oriented. Acceptance and taking complete responsibility for your situation is the only Antidote for handling any negative emotions.
Ask yourself these basic but very powerful questions :
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What do you really want to do with your life?
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What are your biggest problems, worries or concerns you have?
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What are the ideal solutions to each of these problems?
Choose the most important Goal or the biggest challenge first – do write it down in your diary. Once you write it, something happens as the brain receives a message and your subconscious mind starts working on it. And then you start getting the bigger picture and greater sense of clarity.
As per CBT, you should focus more on possible solutions rather than rethinking about the problem. To deal with the problems / challenges effectively, focus on these steps-
1. Define the problem clearly. Once the problem is defined, it is half solved.
2. Think / Ask, what are all the possible causes of this problem? How did it begin? What assumptions were made that led to the problem? Examine the problem like a doctor, dissect the problem before you attempt to solve it.
3. Think / Ask, what are all the possible solutions? Sometimes the best solution is to do nothing / gather more information / realize that this is not your problem and pass it onto someone else whose responsibility it is.
4. What must this solution accomplish? Be sure that the solution you select will accomplish the purpose you had in mind.
5. Assign specific responsibility or take responsibility yourself for implementing the solution. Make sure to set a deadline.
Practice this method until it gets deep into your subconscious mind and becomes a habit which takes a minimum of 21 days. Be clear, honest and realistic about your Goal but be flexible. Be open to new ideas, inspirations and inputs from other people. Keep asking yourself on a regular basis what you really want to do with your life. You will keep getting the answers.
Our thoughts have a very strong influence on our behaviour. For example, in an emergency situation when you give a positive command to yourself, you are able to take all the tough actions and clear decisions without any prior experience. Many times, you may feel uncomfortable in such situations but eventually it will help you get to that positive outcome. With this approach, all the unpleasant feelings and emotions causing worry, fear, anxiety will eventually go away. Such CBT based technique will bring a deeper change in the way you think, react / respond and feel about such situations.
So, take charge of your life to make it more successful, fulfilling and happy. Orient yourself towards the future and keep thinking with a positive frame of mind, what you want and which direction you are going. Do not try to control the outcomes all by yourself. Just focus on your circle of control. There are always a few things which are out of your control, and fall under a circle of influence or circle of concern. It will help you lower your anxiety level and stay calm and focused.
Connect with Ms Ruchi Goyal a SAC Singapore affiliated Psychological Counsellor practicing in Mumbai.
Your happiness Is in your control.