STEP 7: Approach Your
Goals Through Small Steps
Set your long-term goals
Panic exerts a force over you. It attempts to push you into a corner, where you
feel trapped and afraid. To confront this force you must place some target in front of
you, some positive goal to reach.
Creating your own goal will give you a clear sense of
purpose. When you feel lost or confused, this goal can remind you of your positive
direction. Let's decide to divide your goals into Long-term and Short-term.
Long-term
Goals represent your final desired outcome regarding your basic difficulties with
anxiety. Short-term Goals focus your attention for only several days,
weeks or months. Often there are several Short-term Goals for each Long-term Goal.
Identifying
Your Long-Term Goals |
- List all of the situations in which you have difficulty managing your anxiety and
all the situations you avoid out of fear.
- Re-write each item to create a positive Long-Term Goal.
- If you have listed more than one Long-Term Goal, rank order them two times:
- from the least difficult to the most difficult
- from your most important, highest priority to your lowest priority
|
Start by identifying your Long-term Goals. Take time to
follow these instructions, writing down each of your answers. First, list all of the
situations in which you have difficulty managing your anxiety and all the situations you
avoid out of fear. Then, re-write each item to create a positive Long-term Goal. Here are
several examples:
CHANGE "I don't want to be scared in restaurants."
TO "I will feel safe in restaurants and comfortably
enjoy meals with friends."
CHANGE "I'm anxious on planes."
TO "I will be able to regularly fly in a plane across
country."
CHANGE "I avoid parties or large groups."
TO "I will feel in control at parties and will enjoy
myself without drinking alcohol."
CHANGE "I'm afraid to drive far alone."
TO "I will feel confident as I drive alone any distance
I desire."
If you have listed more than one Long-term Goal, rank order
them two times: first, from the least difficult to the most difficult; and second, from
your most important, highest priority to your lowest priority.
top | onto
step 7-2
home
| about me | panic
attacks | fear of flying
| ocd | gad
resources | social anxieties-phobias
| simple phobias | ptsd
| meds
self-help tips board | email
me | send
this page
|
