Did you know there’s a finite list of 40 menopause symptoms?

That’s right, 40 potential symptoms ranging from hot flushes to low energy to hair loss to insomnia to forgetfulness to digestive problems to weight gain to burning mouth to osteoporosis to incontinence.

Whilst you’re unlikely to experience them all, recognizing the signs early means you can quickly get focused on getting your symptoms under control.

Now you might think the quickest way to do that is to change the way you eat, maybe start exercising or perhaps try to reduce the amount of stress in your life.

But there’s 1 key thing you need to do first: You need to connect with your why

You need to get clear on exactly what it is you’re trying to achieve.

Choose one symptom you desperately want to be free from and ask yourself these questions:

Why do you want to be free from that particular symptom?

How will your life change when you’re free from that symptom?

What is that symptom stopping you from doing at the moment?

So hot flushes for example. If you can stop your hot flushes, how will that change the way you do things at work. Will it mean you’re more likely to speak up in meetings for example?

If low energy is getting you down. What does having more consistent energy levels mean to you? Does it mean you finish your working day feeling refreshed enough to enjoy time with your family or go out with friends?

If insomnia’s an issue what does good sleep look like to you? How many hours do you need? And how will that change the way you behave during the day?

Think about how getting relief from your symptoms is going to improve your life, you work, your relationships and your confidence

For me the hot flushes had to go because I do a lot of public speaking. How can do I that if I’m a purple, sweaty mess?

The night sweats had to go not just because they made me feel so yuk, but because I was exhausted from the lack of sleep and it was having an impact on what I could achieve during the day.

But the biggy for me was the forgetfulness, because how could I possibly run a successful business if I couldn’t even find my keys each morning.

It’s so important to get connected with your why and it’s related to your motivation to change.

By getting clear on your why, by visualizing how much better life will be if you could be rid of that symptom, you’re giving your mind the compelling evidence it needs to help you change.

And you’re much more likely to stick to any changes you need to make to get there.

It’s really difficult to make a change without a clear picture of what you’re changing to and why.

So decide which symptom you want to be free from and why you want to be free from that symptom. Then write it down. Share your reasons in the comments below.

Next week we’ll look at your crucial next step to getting controlling of your menopause symptoms.