March 10, 2022

WHAT DREAM ARE YOU NEGLECTING? 

Level Setting: Aligning Life Goals with Therapeutic Growth

Remember when life was exciting? When was the last time you felt truly alive in the moment? When was the last time you felt inspired without restraint, guilt, caution of how others would perceive you?

When we were young, education, folk tales, movies, they were all designed to heighten our awareness of possibilities. We spent countless hours finding our heroes and crafting our inner secret worlds. The very nature of growing “up” requires knowing a direction one is growing towards. A proverbial, innate sense of which way is skyward and an inherent enjoyment of the areas of life that we are specifically crafted to excel and expand in. As you reconnect with that sense of joy, remember:

°It is a falsehood to believe that the more hardship one faces, the harder the path, the more valuable the ending. Suffering is not a necessary cost of success.

°It is not true that we cannot both be equally happy and successful. Happiness and success are not finite nor mutually exclusive.

°It is unrealistic to forget the characteristics and journeys of the earlier versions of yourself and expect to feel whole and confident at the end of the day.

°It is always today; though, ironically we rarely live in the moment.

The thing you fear the most is happening, or has happened, and you survived it. Let it go.  Make room for a dream by accepting the possibility of discomfort.  Break free and take the first step towards your dream. Now! Yes, this was written for you, your energy, this moment, this need to revive your spirit. Its time for you to get serious about being the person the younger you would really like. Lets start with an exercise.

Setting goals in life and through therapy involves a process often referred to as level setting. It’s a practice that integrates personal aspirations with therapeutic guidance to establish realistic, meaningful, and achievable objectives. Here’s a breakdown within a 300-word framework:

The Rearview Mirror Exercise: 

Go sit in the car or imagine sitting in a car. Take a few deep breaths, relax your face, unclench your jaw and allow your teeth to part softly, smooth your brow, soften your tongue and allow it to rest behind your front teeth. Roll your shoulders a few times, stretch your neck. Release the tension. Now..  look yourself in the mirror and populate everything around you the way it should be in your dream reality. Now create it in your minds eye:

See it.. What clothes are you wearing, what kind of car are you in, what does your body look like, what is in your background?

Imagine it..where are you going or coming from, who are you with, where do you live, what is your house like, who is in your life, what are your hobbies?

Feel it.. how do you emotionally feel, how does your body feel, how is your posture? Is it warm or cold?

Smell it.. What is your scent? What does the air smell like?

Once you have fully connected with those senses, summarize what you learned about yourself. Writing it can be a great way to not only memorialize it, but engage even one more part of your brain in it.  The more you can engage yourself mentally in that place, the closer it will be to reality.

Level Setting

Level setting merges the art of goal setting with therapeutic principles to create a roadmap for personal development and mental wellness. It involves a collaborative process between an individual and their therapist to define, refine, and pursue meaningful life objectives.

1. Self-Reflection and Exploration:  Therapy often begins with introspection. Through dialogue and introspective exercises, individuals explore their values, strengths, and areas for growth. This self-awareness forms the foundation for setting meaningful life goals.

2. SMART Goals:  Employing the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—helps in crafting clear and attainable objectives. Therapists assist in breaking down broader aspirations into actionable steps.

Setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) is a pivotal strategy within therapy to foster personal growth and track progress effectively. Specificity in goal-setting helps outline clear objectives. By articulating precisely what you aim to achieve, such as improving coping skills for anxiety, you provide a roadmap for therapy. Measurability allows for tangible markers of progress, ensuring that your goals are quantifiable and observable. For instance, tracking mood changes or the frequency of panic attacks provides concrete metrics. Achievability involves setting realistic goals that challenge but don’t overwhelm. Your therapist collaborates with you to establish attainable objectives, considering your abilities and resources. Ensuring the relevance of goals to your therapeutic journey is crucial; they should align with your broader aspirations and address pertinent issues. Time-bound goals provide a timeframe for achievement, enhancing focus and motivation. This method ensures a structured approach, breaking larger aspirations into manageable steps. Embracing SMART goals in therapy empowers individuals, enhancing commitment and fostering a sense of accomplishment. Through this framework, individuals can track their progress, celebrate milestones, and remain engaged in their healing journey. By incorporating SMART goals, therapy becomes a collaborative process, guiding individuals towards tangible, meaningful changes that contribute to their overall well-being.

3. Therapeutic Alignment: Therapists play a crucial role in aligning life goals with emotional well-being. They help individuals identify underlying obstacles, address self-limiting beliefs, and cultivate coping strategies to overcome challenges.

4. Progress Tracking: Regular evaluation of goals and progress tracking is fundamental. Therapy sessions often involve reviewing achievements, adjusting goals if necessary, and celebrating milestones, fostering motivation and accountability.

Tracking progress on therapy goals is integral to the therapeutic process. By regularly monitoring advancements, individuals gain insight into their journey towards healing and growth. Utilizing measurable benchmarks allows for objective assessments of progress. For instance, if the goal is to reduce anxiety levels, keeping a record of anxiety symptoms, their frequency, and intensity provides quantifiable data to evaluate improvement. Regularly revisiting and reassessing goals allows adjustments to ensure they remain relevant and achievable. This tracking process serves as a motivational tool, providing encouragement by highlighting milestones achieved and acknowledging the distance traveled. It also facilitates transparent communication between the individual and therapist, fostering a collaborative partnership. Emphasizing progress tracking in therapy encourages a sense of agency and control, empowering individuals to actively engage in their healing journey. It enables the celebration of achievements, no matter how small, reinforcing the notion that each step forward contributes to overall well-being.

5. Adaptation and Flexibility: Life is dynamic, and so are goals. Therapy encourages adaptability, acknowledging that circumstances change. Learning to adjust goals without losing sight of the broader vision is an essential skill cultivated through therapeutic processes.

6. Integration of Tools and Strategies: Therapists equip individuals with tools such as mindfulness techniques, cognitive-behavioral strategies, or stress-management practices. Integrating these into daily life supports goal achievement and enhances overall well-being.

Level setting intertwines personal aspirations with therapeutic support, fostering a holistic approach to goal setting. It involves introspection, collaboration, adaptability, and the utilization of therapeutic tools to propel individuals towards a more fulfilling life.

Through this process, individuals not only set and achieve goals but also cultivate resilience, self-awareness, and the capacity to navigate life’s complexities, fostering lasting personal growth.

About the Author: Dr. Sisco is a widely known dreamer and advocate for living fully and healthily regardless of what hand life has dealt. She is classically trained as a humanist CBT therapist specializing in grief recovery. If you would like to schedule an appointment to speak with Dr. Sisco please email admin@grottopsych.com or call (877) 292-6020.