Anytime you want to change something in your life it’s always easier if you have an acronym to remind you of the steps you need to take. We came up with A.C.T. to do just that!
A.C.T. stands for: Arise, Create and Transform.
Arise is the first step, and can feel like the hardest because change feels uncomfortable in the beginning. To arise, you must first notice something that’s not working in your life. Or maybe it IS working, but you know you could do better. Arising means recognizing that you want to rise from your current state and progress to a higher state of being.
Just having the humility to recognize you can improve, takes you to a higher level of living. You are 100% responsible for everything in your life. Where you are and where you go is in your hands only.
When I went through a heavy period of anxiety and depression, “Arise” became my word for pulling myself out of dark moments. There were times when I was curled up in the fetal position in my bed, feeling like I couldn’t do life. Although my motivation was low, I learned that if I could have just 2 seconds of bravery–to just ARISE (whether it meant going for a walk or simply walking to the kitchen for a drink of water), that it was the first step to shifting.
Arising is always good news. Recognizing somewhere we can improve should be exciting, not shaming. Never shame yourself for seeing improvements that need to be made in your life. The fact that you are seeing it means you are making the first step to change, and change is exciting.
The “create” stage of becoming is a crucial one. This is the stage where you not only plan what you need to do to get where you want to go, but you FEEL what it feels like to get there. Creation happens in our thoughts and emotions before it ever is created physically in real life.
Your vision of your new life has to have emotions and feelings connected to it, or new habits are not formed. Motivation is connected to how we feel, and how we feel is connected to our vision. Imagine what it feels like to reach your new goal!
This is also the stage where you will setup routines and plans that will reinforce the new habits you are wanting to set.
“Transform” is where you put in all the work and form the habits. Feel free to use any of our habit trackers to track your progress, and don’t be afraid of going back to the “Creation” stage if you feel a lack of motivation, or your current plan needs some tweaking. Change is a journey, not a race. Time and practice will help you to develop a new habit that sticks.