Learn the Secret to Success and Make New Year Solutions Instead!
Can you believe we're hours away from 2014?! Wow! Hard to believe we’re moving into another year! All around me I am hearing rumblings of people talking about their New Year’s Resolutions. Some are enthusiastic, some seem resigned. Many are already making excuses as to why they can’t meet those resolutions. And now the new trend seems to be not making any at all! What about you? What New Year's Resolutions did you make? How many have you actually kept in your lifetime?
Resolutions are often not kept because they are about YOU! And aren’t you typically the last person on your list? What would happen if you put yourself first?
The word resolution is a weighty one. Say the word Resolution out-loud. Notice how your body responds to it. Does it tense up? Do you feel heavier, weighed down? If you’re an a visual person or an auditory person, (auditory can say it out-loud) lets break the word itself down. You are re (to do again) – solution (an action or process of solving a problem). So you are look to find an answer to something that you had answer to before. It obviously didn’t work or you wouldn’t be making a re-solution for it. It generally brings an overall feeling of unhappiness as something isn’t right once again and now you’re expected to fix it. No wonder most people never keep their New Year's Resolutions!
A lot of people will make the same resolution over and over each year and never meet it. You know what the definition of insanity is right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Eventually this breaks down self – trust. You’re not keeping your agreement with yourself (a lot of people struggle with this!). Do you make a resolution to lose those 10 pounds every year? Do you make a resolution to be on time for all your meetings? What typically happens the first time you “cheat” on your diet or the first time you’re late for a meeting? A lot of people quit at this point.
If you want to do something different this year, consider making New Year Solutions instead. Don’t apply the same band-aid you have year after year. Do something different.
7 Tips to make your New Years Solutions Work!
1. Get an ‘accountability buddy’. This can be a coach, friend or co-worker. It should be someone who is willing and able to not let you slide by making stories and excuses and will check in with you, being available to listen and brainstorm with you when you are struggling. I suggest making a regular scheduled time to check-in at least once a week.
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2. Make agreements with yourself that you are willing and able to keep. If you hate going to the gym, don’t make your solution to losing weight going to the gym three times a week. Instead find alternative ways to get in shape. Maybe you hire a personal trainer that comes to your home or you get a walking buddy to walk with you at lunch. Make it more enjoyable and you are much more likely to do it.
3. Make it realistic. Don’t set yourself up to fail, but don’t limit your potential either. It’s a fine balancing act, so be willing to make adjustments and renegotiate your agreements as needed.
4. Create Personal Practices that will help keep you on track and in alignment with your solutions. An example of a Personal Practice is: If you are usually late for meetings, you put the time for the meeting in your planner as a half an hour earlier than the actual time. If the meeting is scheduled for 9:30 you write that it’s scheduled for 9:00.
5. Eat that elephant one bite at a time. Take the bigger goal and chunk it down into goals you can meet within a month (WAM - Within A Month). Then chunk it down even further into goals that you can achieve within one week (WOW - Within One Week). This helps keeps the ‘overwhelm’ to a minimum so you don’t choke on your elephant! As you achieve each weekly goal you will be moving closer to your monthly goal. As you achieve each monthly goal you are moving closer to your bigger goal.
6. Ask for help! Like it or not we are a tribal animal. If you were to interview the most successful people they would tell you that one of their secrets is they didn’t do it alone! We’re not meant to. People like to help. Let them! Return the favor! Use your resources.
7. Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments! This is an area that a lot of people skip and when it’s skipped it contributes greatly to getting discouraged and giving up! Research shows that encouragement and positive reinforcement goes much further than focusing on the negative.
Coming up with solutions to the challenges in your life can be rewarding. The Universe rewards action! Taking steps to manifesting the life you dream of will open new exciting doors and adventure for you!
Perhaps you’ll discover how powerful and beautiful you really are, or how much you are valued. Perhaps those secret, buried way down deep dreams will find their way to the light and you’ll be living a life you never thought possible. Who knows? What I do know is that “every journey begins with one step”. Will you keep your feet planted firmly in your reality and doubts or are you ready to step towards your dreams?
I’d love to hear about your New Year Solutions and the WAM’s (Within A Month) and WOW’s (Within One Week) you’ve created to move you forward! Post a comment here!
