Just One Thing

By Dr Caroline Taylor

This blog follows on from my goal-setting and completion in therapy blog. It is somewhat inspired by the late, great Dr Michael Mosley.

In my last blog I suggested that one goal is enough. Certainly, one goal at a time is enough. It allows us to have a focus and really understand the impact that the goal has on your life once achieved.

I invite you to ponder on how your life would change if you focused on changing just one thing.

1. For instance, what would happen to your life if your mind was clear of worry?

   
   

2. How would you feel if you noticed when you have done something well, rather than dismissing or minimising your success?

   
   

3. What would it be like to focus on getting a great night’s sleep? How would your day be if you woke refreshed and energised?

   
   

4. How would your day be if you ensured that you experience a sense of achievement and a sense of enjoyment each day?

   
   

5. How would you feel if you were kind to yourself, rather than being your own worst critic?

   
   

When we focus on just one thing, we can devise elegant formulations and a shared treatment plan that will lead to your success. We can also get extra benefits from focusing on just one goal, as behaviour tends to generalise. By which I mean habits spread in the direction we are already behaviourally engaged.

I think we can all probably identify with a slip from the behaviour we had planned, and how that can then spread. Perhaps we don’t go to the gym or exercise class after work, as planned, and then we pick up a bottle of wine and order a pizza, then rummage for the ice cream in the freezer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those behaviours, unless you berate yourself for not following your plan, and it starts to spread over time, and you are not behaving in the way you want to.

The good news is that healthy behaviours generalise too. We could make a goal and then find ourselves engaging in additional healthy behaviours spontaneously. You can change your life with just one thing, just one goal.