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C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 95 REFRAMING GOALS How do we help a client "superpower" their AIMs? First, we can take a clue from research conducted on sports athletes. A study run by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece showed that injured athletes who are more goal oriented recover more easily than those who are not. The content of the overarching goal needs to be personally significant, but also intense. These two functions interact to initiate action, which is easiest to accomplish when the activities are broken into several small steps. 1 In other words, your client will be more apt to make health changes, and allow your support, if they are also working intensely toward an important life goal through actions divided into bite- size pieces. I have a perfect example. Recently I worked with a client who was partially paralyzed from a car accident. She hated sitting around and wanted to jog again. This client called me seeking a miracle, stating that she wanted our work to instantly unlock her legs. That wasn't achievable, so I helped her reframe her goal so it was not only measurable and important, but also doable. Basically, we broke her greater goal—to jog again—into dozens of small goals. During our first session, I had her pretend that she was jogging and asked her to observe the sensations. She could sense the flow of blood through her legs, the smell of the outdoor air, and the pride of pushing herself. Every time we met, which we did over the phone, I went through this exercise with her. I wanted her to remember why her supreme goal was so crucial. Then I gave her an assignment every week, which was to attune to a specific body part and imagine that it was moving. We started with her left toes. For a week, my client concentrated on how it would feel to move them. The next week, she focused on her right toes. During the third week, she pictured herself wiggling the toes on both feet—and they twitched! It took five months, but during that time period, my client gained control over many of her leg movements. Now we only interact every month or so because she's making amazing progress with her physical therapist. THE SUBTLE AND THE SACRED We can't supply a client with the motivation or power they need to achieve wellness, but we can help them pinpoint their goals, make smart decisions, and stay on track. But what can we do if we perceive that they are getting in their own way? We can take them somewhere safe and sacred, where they can figure out what is most essential to them—body, mind, and soul. As shared within the Hindu tradition, there is an ultimate reality that bleeds through all discreet forms of reality. Called turiya, it is the penultimate consciousness, the energy of clarity and light. It is not separate from the body, although it is Ask your client what quality they are truly seeking in their life and healing work. Will the AIM-oriented goals and steps needed ultimately result in faith, hope, truth, love, compassion, or some other virtue?