Breaking free from labels and setting goals that stick...

Breaking free from labels

Our lives are made of the stories we create.

We’re either buying into false narratives or defining ourselves by the labels we adopt.

While we may find comfort in clinging to our identities, self-deprecating labels like “Im just unmotivated”, “I’m a chronic procrastinator”, “I’m a lazy arse”…. only serve to limit our potential.

This tendency is so common that sociologists even have a name for it:’ labeling theory,’ which essentially claims that people act in accordance with how they label themselves or the ones that are imposed by others.

It’s proven to work the same with criminals. Labeling someone as a menace or a deviant encourages people to start acting out that way, to conform to the stereotype of their designated label.

It’s the story of The Joker too. Years of abuse by his father and rejection by society ultimately shaped the character that he became.

This offers enough evidence of the destructive impact of labels. Putting ourselves in limiting boxes is the biggest disservice we do to ourselves as we limit our potential and close off other possibilities for growth and change.

Change is a hard enough process, but it becomes more achievable when we free ourselves from the constraints of self-imposed labels.

Letting go of these limiting narratives is the first step to becoming who we really are.

Setting goals that stick

It’s that time of the year when we get excited about setting new habits, goals, and resolutions…

But if the past were any indicator, we know how that usually goes down.

Failed goals, disappointment, and continual self-doubt.

To understand why this happens, I invited social psychologist Emily Balcetis to share her insights on this subject as she’s spent her career researching the link between perception and motivation.

In this episode, you’ll hear everything you need, to set yourself up for success in 2025.

Some highlights include:

😩Why resolutions fail
😫The myths of motivation
😫How to plan for obstacles
😩The disadvantages of vision boards

and many more nuggets!

The breath of life

Contrary to what we believe, life isn’t meant to be on an upward roll.

It’s how we choose to respond to difficult times. It’s about expanding ourselves in these moments through a series of inhales and exhales.

Learning how to self-regulate is medicine for navigating through adversity.

When dealing with a bad day, just:

Here’s a process called The breath of Life..

Inhale for 7 seconds
Hold it for 3 seconds
Breathe out, into your heart.

It’s even better to add these affirmations with each round:

💜I love myself
💜I trust myself
💜I honour myself
💜I value myself

When having a bad day, nothing like a few minutes of breathwork to recenter yourself.

In case you missed me last week…

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