The ISM technique is easy to use and could enhance the quality of your life! The "I" stands for identify. This means that you should think about the thing or things you used to love to do. This could be something you did a few months or even years ago. Something that really gave you joy. You may have to go back to your childhood to think of something that you used to really enjoy doing. The next step is to take the thing you used to love to do and create a sentence that states why you are not doing it anymore. This is called your excuse sentence. We all have them so don't be afraid to construct your sentence. The letter "S" stands for substitute. Whenever you see a can't or don't in your excuse sentence, substitute the word won't. Now read the sentence. The word won't implies a lack of will on your part for not doing the thing you used to love to do. This word won't puts a different "spin" on why you are not doing something you used to enjoy. The letter "M" stands for modify. This means to think of a way to do the thing you used to enjoy doing but do it in a slightly different way. If you used to enjoy crafting and used to spend $20.00 weekly and now you only have $5.00 to spend weekly, then start crafting again using $5.00. Craft with a friend that you can share supplies with or join a crafting group. Here is another example. If you used to enjoy fishing and now you don't feel comfortable on a boat, then fish from shore or sit with people who are fishing and talk with them about fishing. There is usually a way to do the thing you used to love to do even if you have to modify the way you do it. When you reconnect with what you enjoy you reconnect with parts of yourself that you have forgotten. You can then see yourself in a new and better light. The "I See Myself" technique can help you feel like yourself again. |