| So, you've begun your year with all good intent. Making | | | | earlier goals and their achievements, or lack of, as the |
| significant changes is top of your list. So, have you | | | | case may be. Upon reflection they may discover |
| done so and if not, why not? Are you just being | | | | discrepancies between the two stages of their life, |
| stubborn or lazy? Or are there external factors that | | | | thus causing them to become disheartened and |
| could be working against you? Is there more to | | | | resistant in making any further changes to their lives. |
| change than meets the eye? | | | | So, that was the 'not so good news'. In essence, |
| Good & Bad News | | | | scientists believe that after an individual's 20's they are |
| Well, there's good news and then there's not so good | | | | less willing and responsive to change. Some |
| news. Researchers have discovered that people tend | | | | psychologists attribute this to the five personality traits |
| to be open to new experiences and change during | | | | which include extroversion, agreeableness, |
| their teens and early 20s. That's the not so good news | | | | conscientiousness and neuroticism. |
| and we'll tackle the good news shortly. | | | | There is however much dispute about whether these |
| Fret not all those of you who are slightly longer in the | | | | personality traits change much after the age of 30. |
| tooth and can remember times gone by, like the last | | | | However, most scientists do agree that openness |
| recession of the 80s, the British TV programs | | | | increases during a person's 20's and gradually declines |
| Playschool & Rhubarb, mobile phones that | | | | during adulthood. |
| resembled breeze blocks, trouser flares (the first time | | | | That people's personality traits change during young |
| round) and the actor Ronald Reagan being President | | | | adulthood seems logical as you consider the |
| of the United States of America. | | | | transformations that can occur during early adulthood |
| So what is it about the later stages of life as to why | | | | (see 'Early Adulthood' above). |
| someone may be less open to change? And what | | | | So, does this mean then that there is no hope for |
| would it be like to be able to make change freely? | | | | anyone in their 30's? Will you ever be able to make |
| Early Adulthood | | | | the significant change in your life? Are you doomed to |
| Let's first briefly look at the early stages. Perhaps it is | | | | scientifically thought beliefs? |
| within this stage that individuals seek some sort of | | | | Good News |
| independence. They begin to create goals, which | | | | Yes, there is good news. It doesn't have to be as the |
| inspire and motivate them to make changes. | | | | above. We all have choice in our lives to get the |
| Their ambitions could range from sporting achievement, | | | | results we want and make the necessary positive |
| career, to accumulating wealth. Often, a sense of | | | | changes. |
| discovery spurs them on to broaden their horizons and | | | | From a young age we all create different experiences |
| travel to distant lands. | | | | of the world around us, via representational systems |
| It's important to note that if their 'dreams' are not | | | | of sight, sounds, feelings, tastes and smells. In Mind |
| realized at this time, they may lose courage and sense | | | | Coaching we call this our 'maps of the world'. |
| of purpose and responsiveness to life, which may | | | | If you were to think of a literal map or even a sat nav |
| cause someone to resist change in the future. | | | | system, they are a representation of the roads but |
| It is said around the age of 28-33, the transition age as | | | | they are not the roads themselves; they are not reality |
| some may call it, that people may question their | | | | itself. Just as literal maps, our maps can be inaccurate, |
| position in life and may make a commitment to a | | | | causing us to behave accordingly. Added to the |
| particular career or lifestyle. A person may turn to a | | | | different stages of adulthood we may experience, we |
| colleague to act as a mentor; someone who is older | | | | will very likely limit ourselves to little or no change at all. |
| and wiser to give them guidance perhaps concerning | | | | The mind likes habit and it will stick to whatever gives |
| career. | | | | us a sense of security and comfort, with the fear that |
| It's also interesting to note that people who were | | | | any type of change will disrupt that somehow. |
| adventurous and investigative as kids, are more than | | | | Regardless of our age we can make changes in our |
| likely to carry that through to adulthood. We can see | | | | lives without causing great pain. It's no secret that our |
| what responsibility parents have, as they aid in the | | | | subconscious mind holds the key, with all the |
| development of their children. | | | | necessary resources we need to succeed. However, |
| Middle Adulthood | | | | we may not be adept in using it to create more |
| The commitments made during the early stages of | | | | accurate maps and thus get the outcomes we want. |
| adulthood are here consolidated. You may have been | | | | Mind Coaching is truly an effective means to achieving |
| in this position already where you feel 'settled'. | | | | remarkable change. The techniques used are unique |
| Commitments to career, friends, family etc are | | | | & powerful and create long lasting strategies that |
| stabilized. | | | | are permanently stored in our subconscious mind; |
| A Crisis in the Making? | | | | creating more resourceful behaviours. |
| It is during the transition between early and adulthood | | | | Whether for business or personal development, find |
| that a period of crisis can arise. People may start to | | | | out what Mind Coaching can do for you today. |
| re-evaluate their lot in life. They may look back to their | | | | |