Goal Setting | The Gift Foundation Course

Apr 30, 2024 | 0 comments

April has flown by, and we are almost into May!

This month, I’ve received messages from members who have expressed their enjoyment of my blogs. I just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for sharing this with me and reading. Honestly, I never thought anyone would read my blog, so knowing that so many of you do truly warms my heart and boosts my self-belief even more. Thank you all!

I still get nervous when presenting workshops, and it’s frustrating because I feel like I should be more confident by now. On top of that, I haven’t been feeling well due to a cold, which makes it even harder to focus on my work. But I need to remind myself to be kind and compassionate towards myself, just like I talked about in my February blog. It’s important to acknowledge how far I’ve come and appreciate the progress I’ve made. In this blog, I want to explore the importance of setting goals.

Goal Setting

Initially, I was hesitant about setting goals, I felt trapped and believed that I would never succeed in accomplishing anything. However, I eventually came to understand that goals are the driving force that propels us forward and aids in our personal growth. By focusing on self-improvement, we are already making significant strides towards achievement.

During the introductory workshop, the well-being coaches explained Isorropia’s five keys, and amidst it all, the concept of meaning and purpose brought a mix of emotions. Initially, it felt daunting, as I felt as though I lacked both at the time. The coaches mentioned the two-day GIFT foundation course as a path toward setting goals, but my initial reaction was resistance. It felt daunting and overwhelming, my inner critic fought against the idea.

In those moments, the idea of seeking meaning, purpose, and setting goals seemed distant and unattainable. All I wanted was to navigate through the workshops, to simply survive. Even attending felt like a challenge, and my first goal was simply making it through the door and finding a seat. The pressure I placed on myself led to overwhelming emotions and I couldn’t complete the first day of the GIFT course. Walking away left me feeling like I had stumbled, like I had failed, further denting my self-esteem. It was in this negative space that I even resorted to writing a harsh letter to myself, emphasizing my perceived shortcomings.

However, a few days later, a well-being coach reached out, offering reassurance and booking me for more workshops, including a rescheduled GIFT course. This encouragement shifted my perspective, reminding me that setbacks weren’t the end of the road but merely detours on the path to growth. I made a conscious decision to persevere, using each workshop as a stepping stone toward my ultimate goal of completing the GIFT.

This marked a turning point for me—a conscious decision to not let setbacks define my journey and I committed to pushing forward. The GIFT became my ultimate goal, and each workshop became a stepping stone toward it. By applying the tools from the workshops, I began to work on myself outside of the sessions. I used my journal as a guide and worked towards my goals with compassion. I reminded myself that slipping up wasn’t a failure, just a sign that I needed more time. Every goal I set revolved around the workshops, keeping me focused until I finally achieved the gift. And when I finally entered that space, I knew I was truly prepared.

On my gift day I wrote myself something I wanted to share…

I’m feeling scared, but also excited. I have been here once before in the middle of August, and I didn’t get through day one. I felt ashamed and disappointed in myself. I felt as though I had failed at getting well, but I had a little determination in myself, so after a very difficult anxious call, I booked myself on as many workshops as I could every week I attended, and I started to feel less of a failure. I decided to start to listen and use the tools from the workshops, I did decide to do this at a slow comfortable rate, I set tiny goals, and something slowly started to happen. I started to lift my head a little higher. I found my voice in workshops and with that came my smile and laughter, I see now I didn’t fail I just wasn’t ready. I have a long way to go, 30 something years can’t be fixed in a few months, but something I’ve never lost that my moods emotions and trauma after trauma hasn’t taken away is my determination it may have been a very small ember just a few months ago but as I take my journey forward it has become more of a flame and right now I am comfortable excepting where I am and who I am. I am ready to keep moving forward to burn brighter and today I’m going to achieve one of my biggest goals attending the gift and I’m happy to be here. Karleigh x”
October 2022

This time, my experience with the Gift was truly transformative. I didn’t push myself too hard, but I still had a clear goal in mind. It really helped to shift my mindset and I even connected with the people in my group. The Gift was another step towards my overall well-being, and the follow-up session really helped me stay focused. I really enjoyed my GIFT course and was so proud I did it!

I realised that meaning and purpose doesn’t always have to be grand and overwhelming. It can be found in the simple moments. Finding meaning in our daily actions, routines, and activites can bring purpose and happiness, without necessarily needing to find the meaning of life itself. So, ask yourself, what is the meaning behind the things you do? As for me, the meaning of writing this blog is to let others know that they’re not alone, to offer hope, and to give back in my own way. Now, what is the meaning of your attendance at Isorropia?

It’s completely normal to feel scared when setting big goals for yourself. Admitting what you truly want can be intimidating, especially when the fear of failure creeps in. It’s important to shift your mindset towards the opportunities and possibilites.

How was your experience with the gift? I would love to hear all about it. 

The Gift Foundation Course

Most of you will already be aware that Isorropia offers a transformative two-day foundation course called “THE GIFT”. This course is designed to reconnect members with life’s possibilities in relationships, family, career & community. It encourages exploration of personal passions & aims to bring about permanent shifts towards your desired life. Members will consilidate the tools learnt in the workshops to develop powerful new thinking & behavioral patterns, enhancing success & balance in personal wellbeing.

You will receive your GIFT course dates during your first introduction workshop. It is not mandatory to complete the GIFT course, but I would highly recommend taking part if you are able. If you find the two day difficult, then we also offer theGIFT LITE”, which is a shorter 5 hours version. 

REMEMBER: Either version of “THE GIFT” is open to all members. If you wish to change your gift date, swap to the GIFT LITE, or retake the GIFT, please give us a call. 

The Gift Follow Up Sessions

Follow-up sessions are my favourite part of the program and play a crucial role in helping you stay on track with your goals. These sessions, led by wellbeing coaches, break down your goals into manageable steps and provide a more personalized approach compared to the workshops. They focus on the present moment and offer an opportunity to reconnect with your fellow GIFT participants.

These follow-up sessions take place over 4 weeks at the same time and day each week, with a final 1-1 review session on the 5th week with a wellbeing coach. During this review, you can decide how you want to proceed with isorropia – whether it’s graduating from the program, attending more workshops, or repeating the entire program. The choice is yours.

One of the great things about isorropia is that even after graduating, you can still participate in workshops, attend the GIFT sessions, or join social groups. You will continue to have access to our phone lines for ongoing support.

Journaling for Goals

Why not try these journal prompts for goal setting. Your goals can be as small as you want… have a shower, get a decent lunch, drink two glass of water.

    • What have I already accomplished today? (I got up, I got dressed, I went for a walk, I allowed myself to rest, I made a phone call) 
    • Did I learn anything today? (I do achieve things) 
    • What is the story I’m telling myself right now? 
    • Is there a new habit I would like to try. 
    • What is one goal I’d like to work towards?
    • What small steps can I take to work towards this? 
    • What if my small step doesn’t work out? What can I do to still work towards this?
    • What is the meaning In this goal? 
    • How will I feel after achieving this goal? 
    • What will happen if I don’t achieve this goal, and can I do it differently?  What did I learn? (Be compassioante towards yourself here; what would you say to a friend?)

My Goal

I’ve had a desire to climb a mountain for quite some time now. It’s a goal I’ve been aiming to accomplish, especially since my journey to wellness with isorropia has always felt like climbing a mountain. Earlier this month, my two eldest sons and I decided to hike across north Wales and hike to the peak of Snowdonia to raise funds for autism awareness. What I realized during this trip is that the journey towards a goal is more significant than the goal itself. Reflecting on where I was just a few years ago, unable to even step out of my own home, to now stepping out of my comfort zone and routine, is a huge achievement for me. Boarding a boat is something that scares me, so it was a goal to conquer that fear. While traveling we crossed bridges over water, which I don’t particularly like due to my fear of water. Being out of routine made me very uncomfortable but overcoming these fears and pushing myself out of my comfort zone are small victories that contribute to the overall achievement. It’s important to acknowledge how far we’ve come when setting goals, and for me, the greatest achievement was simply believing that I could do these things. We ended up walking 57miles, visited amazing sights and made the Snowdon climb.

Setting goals is important, but the biggest growth comes from believing in myself enough to achieve those goals. When I got the job at isorropia, I thought that was the ultimate achievement, but in reality, the goals I accomplished along the way were huge. Stepping out of my comfort zone and overcoming challenges like picking up the phone and talking to people were major milestones. when I look back at all the challenges I faced, I realise they contributed to my personal growth, rather than just getting the job. 

It’s all about changing our mindset and believing in ourselves. I’ve held myself back for too long, playing the victim to my own mental health diagnosis and believing I couldn’t do things, because I was unwell, anxious, or socially awkward. I created a story in my head that I didn’t deserve success or happiness because of the traumas I’ve been through. But the truth is, the only person holding me back was myself. Changing the narrative I constantly told myself marked the beginning of setting goals for myself. I reminded myself that I couldn’t keep repeating the stories of my past failures or insecurities because by doing so, I would continue to believe them. I realised that I needed to shift my perspective and take control of my story. Now, my story is one of growth and accomplishment at my own pace. I refuse to let anything hold me back because I deserve to live the life I want. Despite facing challenges, I have continued to grow. Just like Les Brown once said, “growth comes from overcoming tough times, not from the good days.” I have learned to embrace the difficult moments and use them as opportunities to evolve. I am constantly looking for new ways to approach obstacles and learn from them. It’s not about reaching the top of the mountain effortlessly, but about the journey of growth and resilience along the way. I’ve challenged myself to at least give it a shot, believing in myself to try. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out what I can do differently. How can I learn and grow from this experience? In reality, I might grow more from not reaching my initial goal, as I’ll need to find alternative paths. It’s about dealing with the obstacles and emotions along the way, not just reaching the destination easily. It’s a process of working hard and gradually improving to achieve growth. Just like when I climbed that mountain, it wasn’t a simple journey to the top. There were struggles, setbacks, and moments of doubt. But those challenges are where the real growth happens, and the sense of achievement is even greater. If I had just breezed through it, I wouldn’t have learned as much or felt as accomplished as I do now. The real growth and achievement comes from the journey itself, the obstacles faced, and the determination to overcome them.

Remember, when you first reached out to Isorropia for help THAT was an achievement. When you completed your enrolment, that was another achievement. Attending the introduction and deciding to book your workshops were also achievements. By choosing to come to Isorropia, you made the decision to change your story. It doesn’t matter where you are in your journey or if you face struggles, tears, or overwhelming moments. Your past doesn’t have to compare to anyone else’s. What matters is that you showed up for yourself; you’re trying. That’s the most important part towards your growth!

Ask yourself! 

    • How far have I come? 
    • What have I done to show up for myself? 
    • Am I doing things I believed I couldn’t do 6 months ago? 
    • What is it that I’m telling myself I can’t achieve? Can I challenge this? Is there proof that this self-belief is false? 

Looking to boost your self-belief? Look no further than our confidence and self-esteem workshop! It’s the perfect opportunity to enhance your mindset and build a strong foundation of self-assurance. Members can easily secure a spot via your bookwhen link, or simply giving us a call. Additionally, we have another fantastic workshop that focuses on goals and maintaining focus. It’s called “The Fear of Getting Well” and “Well-being Planning”. These workshops complement each other perfectly, creating a harmonious balance in your personal growth journey.

A tool that really helps me put things in to perspective when I’m struggling to push to achieve is the cross roads to happiness tool. You can find this in the well-being planning workshop.

Meet the Team: Molly Dixon

One well-being coach that is the queen of goals and achieving is Molly, I often see molly push herself to achieve the things she wants in life and it’s a huge inspiration, as I have got to know molly I have found out she is an extremely fun, bubbly, energetic, talented, kind and honest person and really keeps our teams moral up she makes everyone laugh and can really brighten up the day just by being her most authentic self. Molly is an incredible wellbeing coach and I really enjoy being in workshops with her. 

Name/Nickname
Molipop / Molly
Job Role
Wellbeing Coach
What is your favourite workshop?
It’s a mix of effective communication, building healthy relationships and well-being planning (of course I can’t choose just one).
What keeps you well?
Knowing myself well enough to know what my need in a moment is.
What is your favourite quote?
When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up. – Les Brown.
About Molly
Hello all! A little background of things that bring me a lot of joy, first and foremost having the privilege of owning my horse who is called Maverick. He is a large part of my Ikigi and the biggest dream child me ever made. I tend to him twice a day, every day and I love the lifestyle it brings me. We love a good gallop over the downs across the island and jumping. Secretly a bit of a mermaid, I sea dip all year and have recently brought myself a Lumi recovery ice tub. I go to swim training once a week, became in love with running during covid and have always been a gym goer. Equally, I promise I do find a little downtime to relax and get lost in a good fantasy book, some simple pleasures for me look like camping, herbal teas, candles, sunsets/sunrises and going to bed in fresh sheets by 9 pm. I’m also a very curious mind and love learning anything new, especially around psychology and neuroscience. I need a lot of variation in my life, so the active lifestyle and mental stimulation work for me beautifully. It’s difficult to pinpoint my favourite part of my role here at Isorropia, however, I think it would have to be when I fall into a focus flow (which I call it) during a workshop or delivering the gift, when I’m able to respond to a question with either a question to allow an individual to peel back another layer of their own self-awareness or theory that spreads inspiring energy across the room.
A goal I achieved…
Everyone knows I am a sucker for a good goal/plan. I feel for me personally my biggest achievement within goal setting was gaining my degree, but not for the piece of paper. But actually, because it gave me such evidence against a negative belief system I created as a teenager believing I was stupid and couldn’t learn academically. Everything else around that I gained was a bonus, due to my neurodiversity I had to learn how I learn, with a very good reward system. Scheduling and holding myself very accountable. Due to my university course being 4 years, it was a goal that kept giving, allowing that belief system to evolve and grow.

This Month at Isorropia

Molly recently accomplished an incredible feat by participating in the ABP half marathon, finishing 13.10 miles in just 1 hour and 56 minutes. Not only did she surpass her personal record, but she also raised funds for the Isle of Wight and Hampshire air ambulance. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement, Molly!

New Workshops

You might have noticed on our community Facebook page that the Isorropia team has been diligently brainstorming new workshop ideas for our members. Natasha, our amazing team member, even created a Facebook poll for you to vote on your favourite workshop idea. Your input is incredibly valuable to us, and we truly appreciate the time you took to participate. We are eagerly awaiting the results and can’t wait to start organizing some exciting new workshops. Stay tuned for updates!

Team Wellbeing Day

From time to time, the Isorropia team gathers and dedicates an entire day to our well-being. This is crucial for us to pause, appreciate each other, and strengthen our bond as a team. It’s also an opportunity for us to have some fun! During this month’s well-being day, we engaged in team-building exercises, enjoyed music quizzes, and explored our personality types and core values. I absolutely cherish these days, although I must admit they can be challenging for me. As someone who gets easily drained by crowds and noise, I tend to withdraw and become quiet. In the past, I used to judge myself for this and wonder why I couldn’t be more enthusiastic like others. However, what I’ve come to realize is that it’s truly fascinating to find people who understand you. They don’t judge or question your behaviour; instead, they simply accept you for who you are. I believe this is a crucial aspect of finding your tribe, and I can confidently say that the team here at Isorropia is definitely my tribe.

As always, I hope this blog has been helpful to you, please let me know of any subjects you would like me to cover or if you would like to participate in the blog. 

 

Much love Karleigh.

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