Have you ever found yourself staring down a goal...achieving it...celebrating your success (I hope) only to find that you have slipped back into the same patterns and behaviors that kept you bound long before you reached your goal. Simply, your goal was attained and lost, only to be attempted, gained again at some point, or completely abandoned.

It happens to all of us. You start out with the greatest of intentions to reach a goal and you make headway...almost fast and furiously...reach your goal and celebrate! As you should! Reaching a goal is a 'significant' accomplishment that deserves to be embraced and recognized...even rewarded!

So, after the party ends and the celebration fades, the dreaded happens...the old ways are back!

This is what I have encountered in my own life and I hear it repeatedly in my work with clients, both present and past. This bouncing back and forth takes aim at all of us and, most times, we are never really fully prepared to handle it, yet we often had the thought in the back of our minds that it was a serious possibility when we shot toward our specific goal(s). The fact of the matter is that a high risk potential does exist for negative behaviors to return and sabotage our once glorified achievement(s)!

So, why does this happen?

Is it possible that the 'old ways' are THAT inviting and preferred and we just can't live without them?

It seems reasonable to conclude that if the old ways were THAT inviting, perhaps you would not have sought 'new ways' to replace them in the first place.

The question remains...How does it happen?

The answer? Although there are many reasons that contribute to the return of old behaviors, there is one reason that keeps begging for our attention...

Consider this:

If you think about your most recent 'quest' to achieve a goal, what was your mindset like at the starting gate?

Were you feeling pressured by a need to set this goal?
Were you feeling fearful of the goal from the 'get-go' that you may have even said to yourself, "I'm probably not going to be able to do it, but I guess I'll have to give it a try!"
Were you wondering if you had it in you to 'stick with it' from the very start, even before you made your attempts to achieve your goal?
Were you headed into your mission with '100% conviction' and strong intentions?

Knowing your state of mind 'before' making any kind of headway is vital for you to realize successful attempts and successful outcomes. Believe it or not, your self-awareness on a much deeper level at the time you are ready to do the 'work' really can be a critical factor for success. If you have significant emotions NOW that you can label as 'negative' about the goal or the process of reaching your goal, you might want to ask yourself if going forward is your best option NOW.

If that is the case, you might also want to consider the option of really 'getting to know yourself' on a deeper level before heading into your mission of setting and reaching your goal(s).

Think of it this way:
If you are not in a state of open awareness before going into 'battle' and your truest intention is to move quickly into action and get a quick result, you are essentially doing the equivalent of heading straight into your battlefield zone without your appropriate armor, weaponry, or skillful planning.

Ask yourself:

Can I move toward my goal successfully while immersed in 'fear-based' thinking?
Am I able to challenge any negative thoughts right now that would help me reach my goal later?
What is my belief now about my ability to reach any of my goals?
What is my attitude about this particular goal? Is my goal going to be my "friend or foe?"
What do I feel now physically when I think about wanting to reach my goal? Am I feeling anxious and rushed to do the work that it takes to reach my goal?
If I am disappointed in myself for any reason now, what might make me feel better at the other end of this journey?
Will reaching my goal help me to find 'love' for myself that I don't seem to have now?

The starting gate is a most critical point in the process. Movement forward toward any goal requires fine-tuning of your mental awareness. The 'rush' to the finish line may always seem like the best approach with the least amount of "pain"...But, the so-called 'pain' we endure is our work that produces the best and longest lasting results.

Reverting back to square one, having already reached the goal or never having reached the goal at all, has the potential to generate familiar negative dialog ("I knew I couldn't do it!" or "I knew it wouldn't last!") all over again. That process can be changed by one mere additional step in the process...

...Know YourselfBEFOREYou Set Out To Reach Your Goals!