Have you ever done this before? Get so excited about a new goal that you go all-in trying to make it happen:

You tape affirmations to the bathroom mirror, schedule reminders to pop up on your phone throughout the day, and dutifully write it on your list of goals each morning.

Then two weeks later, it’s like it never happened.

You sleep in instead of waking up to meditate and journal, you glaze right over the affirmations taped to the mirror, and the phone notifications got so annoying, you turned them off.

If this sounds like your experience with setting – and never achieving – goals, you’re not alone.

It’s easy to get excited about a new way of being or believing in the world, then fall back into old patterns when life keeps moving along per usual.

Some people claim it takes 21 days to form a habit, but let’s be honest – habits take daily reinforcement and are just as easy to stop on day 22 as they are on day 2.

So how do you create lasting change in how you think, feel, and show up in the world?

You make it easy.

If you’re anything like me, part of you never wanted to grow up past the age of 8. You still like to play, sing, dance, imagine, and while away hours in curious exploration.

But adult life feels so serious. Even play time as an adult is dull – drinking, eating, exercise, or TV.

Which means if we want to re-wire our minds, we need to tap into our inner child who’s still willing to learn and try new things.

Here’s how: Make your goals easy to think about.

If you’ve been with me for awhile you know one of my favorite rhymes is “I’m vibrantly alive at 125!”.

Sure that’s a perfect phrased, present-tense, positive affirmation. But it’s also a fun little ditty – one I can repeat to myself in playful ways throughout the day.

I don’t obsess over it – I don’t even think about it that much. But it’s in the back of my mind singing along to itself, like a child quietly playing with their toys.

Soft goals allow you to tap into your creativity. The activate your emotions and subtly guide you towards how you envision yourself, without forcing into a routine or box.

So think of a soft emotion-based goal you can choose for yourself. Then let your focus on it be light and easy, like my rhyme.

Leave a comment below with your new playful affirmation!

Be free. Be brave. Be YOU!

Love,
Alexis

p.s. In this video, I share more about my rhyme and how it’s affected my life over the past 10 years: