Emilia Tomeo - MJB Seminars

Inspiration is Internal!

by Emilia (Mills) Tomeo from MJB Seminars

Emilia has a BA in Education and over 10 years experience in education. She has over 16 years experience in the Personal Development industry and is a key driving force in shaping the creative content and presentation of material in MJB Seminars.

It’s that time of year again, when New Year’s resolutions roll around and you start thinking to yourself - what do I want to achieve in 2021? Maybe it’s going on a diet (or simply sticking to it for longer than a few weeks). Or perhaps it’s building up the endurance to run that marathon you’ve always dreamed of doing. It could even be as simple as saving five percent of each paycheck, for a lovely little nest egg come December. Well, before you get too carried away, I’m going to share some wisdom I’ve learned over the years about how to pick a goal, as well as the building blocks needed to see it through. And it starts with two concepts - the goal itself and the ripple effects created when we actually achieve it. First thing’s first, if you have to wait for a new year to seek a transformation, then you just aren’t really that resolved in the first place. This idea that “next year is going to be better” or “I just need things to be perfect before I start” is a lie we tell ourselves. We get caught-up thinking challenges like ‘New Years Resolutions” will push us to alter our behaviour, when in fact the solution lies in examining what’s within us. I recently took up a challenge from Instagram called 75Hard that involves no alcohol, drinking four litres of water, following a food plan of my choice, taking part in two 45-minute workouts, and reading ten pages of a non-fiction book, every day over the course of two-and-a-half months. And boy, has it been rough at times! But I am inspired from within to achieve it. I don’t need someone reminding me to get moving each morning. And I certainly didn’t have to “wait” until after Christmas to start because I wanted to indulge over the holiday season. At MJB we describe this with the phrase: “Motivation is external, inspiration is internal.” Still not sure what I mean? Well, let’s take the example of a kid on Christmas morning. At 6am they’ve bolted out of bed and are down by the tree waiting to unwrap the goodies Santa’s left. They don’t need an alarm, or a parent coming in to wake them up. They are just intrinsically inspired to do it, because the joy and wonder at what might be waiting, sparks a light in them. Compare that to a child having to wake up to attend school, and you can see that inspiration can make a big difference to your emotions - and therefore your desire to see an action through. Similarly, when your goals are tested, inspiration makes you more likely to overcome such challenges. Kids playing video games actually enjoy the harder levels, because it inspires them. They don’t need motivation to plug the xbox in and get cracking. So, if your resolution is to lose weight - ask yourself what exercise inspires you, and seek to do more of that. Whether that’s joining a social netball team so you have a chance to make friends outside work, or go running with your dog because your four-legged friend always boosts your mood. Once you have your goal, the second and oftenoverlooked part of a resolution, is what to do when you start achieving it. Rarely do people consider the ripple effects that come from success. Take, for instance, if you choose to give up smoking. You have more money than before, because you aren’t buying cigarettes - so you need to create small financial goals for this new influx of wealth. Similarly, you might stop going out with the same group of friends, so you will need to create a new social goal to fill that void. Choosing a goal that inspires you, as well as taking the time to think about the goals that will sprout up once you start succeeding, will help you transform your new year. So, look inside and ask what can’t you wait to achieve? Because THAT’s your starting point. And it’s time to go!