and play to them. “People struggle to
identify what their strengths are,” she
says. “We’re much quicker to identify
what we can’t do than what we can.
Take a strengths test; there are a lot of
free ones online and I recommend the
VIA character strengths test made by
positive psychologists. Knowing your
strengths will give you more confidence
and energy.”
If you’re struggling to find inspiration,
Rose says it’s helpful to consider what
you’re naturally drawn to. She also
recommends giving yourself permission
to dream big. “Let yourself go there to
dream it up, give yourself that permission
to explore,” she says. “Is [your dream]
to write a book, travel the world, start
a charity?” If money, time and location
weren’t an issue, what would you spend
your time doing?
If those steps still aren’t working for
you, Maidment says a change in your
environment could be what you need.
“Experiencing different cultures and
different ways of life challenges your
perception of what life should be,”
she says.
STEP 4
FIND YOUR WHY
Understanding the reasoning behind
wanting something different and moving
towards it provides clarity, inspiration
and motivation. “Be really clear on your
‘why’ because I believe [that] if you
know why you’re doing something, the
‘how’ and the ‘what’ continue to change,
evolve and manifest in different forms,”
says Maidment. “But if the ‘why’ is
there, then everything else flows.”
To discover your why, Maidment
suggests spending three minutes writing
from your stream of consciousness on
what your values are. “Whatever comes
to mind, just write [the thoughts]
down and then choose three values that
mean the most,” she says. “It’s a really
profound process when you have all of
these things written down and all of
a sudden you have to choose three; it
makes you consider what you actually
value. Have really honest conversations
with yourself, too. For me, it’s freedom,
flexibility and health and wellness – and
every decision I make comes from that.”STEP 5
START WORK ON THE ‘HOW’
Once you’ve determined your ‘why’, it’s
time to start thinking about the actions
you can take to effect change in your
life. Rose recommends asking yourself
questions such as, ‘How am I going to
do this?’ and ‘How can I be an activeagent in my life so I can empower myself
in this situation?’
Being proactive about your goals
keeps the energy flowing and prevents
inactivity. First, start with daily rituals
that make you feel aligned with your core
values. Rose says the ideal way to create
permanent positive habit formations
is using the psychology technique of a
neurological loop.
“The neurological loop is created
with cue, routine and reward,” she says.
“You have your cue: a trigger to do the
habit which is best attached to an existing
habit – such as brushing your teeth or
getting up in the morning. Routine is the
new habit, the new thing you want to
do and then a reward that supports you
in a healthy way. In the early days, you
cultivate the neurological loop of cue,
routine, reward, repeat and eventually
you’ll crave it because your brain has been
trained that it’s a good thing.”
Maidment recommends surrounding
yourself with likeminded people. “If you
like yoga, go to some yoga workshops;
if it’s poetry, go to The School of Life,”
she says. “Ask people you admire: ‘What“Accept that it’s a
journey and there
isn’t one pathway
to discovering
your purpose.”naturalhealthmag.com.au AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH | 33