As the country begins to re-open, Canadians are naturally thinking about how to get their lives back on track again post-pandemic and are beginning to dust off their goals, hopes, and dreams. In a new survey released by belairdirect today, it was revealed that most Canadians (83%) remain optimistic and agree that you are never too old to dream, despite the fact that 75% of respondents had to put off making major life decisions over the last 15 months.
When it comes to achieving goals, there are two types of people – the ‘Doers’ and the ‘Dreamers.’ According to the findings, almost half (46%) of Canadians consider themselves to be equal parts ‘Dreamer’ and ‘Doer’, with 28% identifying themselves as solely ‘Doers’ and 23% as solely ‘Dreamers.’ To help bridge the gap, belairdirect has partnered with Business-Brain Expert Dr. Brynn Winegard to share her wisdom when it comes to overcoming obstacles in order to achieve your goals, realize your dreams, be your best-brained self, and live your best life post-pandemic.
“The pandemic put many life plans, goals and dreams on the backburner, so people are now feeling a bit out of practice when it comes to making big decisions, and may find major life changes even more overwhelming and intimidating than before,” saidaward-winning Business-Brain Expert and spokesperson for the belairdirect Doer vs. Dreamer campaign, Dr. Brynn Winegard. “The survey results show that many Canadians are certainly goal-orientated, but there are still psychological barriers in place that play a pivotal role in holding Canadians back from achieving their dreams.”
The survey found that while 3 in 5 Canadians say that goals give them direction in life, many feel that they do not have the right plan, support, mindset, or resources in place to actually achieve them. Over half of respondents reported not being able to achieve their goals because of psychological barriers such as procrastination (33%) and fear of failure (24%).
However, despite a global pandemic, Canadians stayed strong and were still able to make some of their dreams become a reality. Over the past year, 44% of respondents who wanted to renovate their home or cottage were able to do so, of those who wanted to learn something new, 42% were successful, and 41% of those who dreamt about improving their fitness made it to the finish line. While goals were achieved, 6 in 10 Canadians say their priorities were shifted, with 38% reporting that the way they look at the ideal place to live has changed, and the majority of 25–34-year-olds admit that the way they look at their career has now changed.
“The survey findings revealed that despite a turbulent 15 months, Canadians still have big dreams and goals they want to achieve. Whether it’s buying your first property or purchasing your dream car, hitting these major milestones can take a lot of work,” said Marie-Pierre Leclerc, Vice President, Marketing & Digital Strategy at belairdirect. “No matter if you’re a ‘Doer or a ‘Dreamer,’ choosing the right insurance provider and partner can seem like a big task, but at belairdirect we make it simple and offer peace of mind. We want to help Canadians achieve their goals, and make sure their dreams are protected.”
Dr. Brynn Winegard’s Top Three Brain-Based Tips:
- Break big projects into chewable chunks: This simple brain-based tweak will help you to achieve your goals and is a small habit that can result in big wins. Create small, actionable to-dos that will help combat procrastination and increase your sense of self-efficacy, as you will have solid evidence of the goals you’re continually and consistently achieving.
- Do the toughest things first: Each morning, start with the toughest and most important thing on your to-do list. The small, administrative work will always get done, but will take primary position if you don’t make a conscious effort to make the ‘important’ tasks a priority first. Having professional support in place in order to feel comfortable when making big life decisions is also an important factor to take into consideration here. For example, getting a trusted insurance provider and partner on board, such as belairdirect, will help empower your own daily decision making as you can be sure that all of your hard work will be protected.
- Right-size your to do list: Having a to-do list is a common and useful tool for self-starting ‘Doers’. However, it is important not to overwhelm ourselves with too many tasks that are impossible to accomplish all at once. To avoid this, take a look at your to-do list and decide on how many items you can realistically and safely cross off that day and still feel like you have made sufficient progress towards achieving your life goals.
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