With the first quarter of the year behind us and my birthday around the corner (it is tomorrow), I always stop and reflect how much progress I have made toward my goals. I thought I’d extend the invitation to you this year and encourage you to stop and reflect with me and take Key Steps to…
Make your resolutions reality
1. Why do you often give up on New Year’s resolutions? Some people think it is because of a personal weakness, personality flaws or lack of determination. Maybe those play a role in some way but that it not really the case. Most of us are pretty determined and strong-willed not weak-willed. So what is the real reason… You give up on your resolutions because your mind resists the notion of trying to live your life in long stretches, when it is patently impossible to do so. It is simply a matter of asking yourself, at the beginning of the day, “How do I want to conduct my life today?” Then very directly begin to carry out your goals for the day. In other words, it is critical to turn your resolutions into tangible goals that are broken into bite-size, executable chunks (join us to ‘Set & Achieve Goals’ on 18 June 2014 and we’ll show you how to turn your dreams into reality using the SMARTEST™ technique). If you don’t, they will remain elusive and you’ll give up on them and risk starting to believe that you are weak-willed and lacking in determination
2. Live in the present moment. What you can do is set up day-to-day goals for yourself, and then resolve to begin living with present moment awareness for the rest of your life. For example, instead of deciding you are going to give up sugar for a year, resolve to go one day without eating sugar. Anyone can do virtually anything if it is for just one day. When you get good at living your present moments one day at a time, you’ll see yourself changing right before your own surprised eyes. Remember, you can do anything for just one day, so tune out the sentences that keep you locked into your old self-defeating ways and begin to enjoy each day of your ‘new’ year being a ‘new’ you.
3. Let the ‘new’ you make decisions for each new day. I learnt this valuable tip from Wayne Dyer. He reminded me that when you go for one whole day without eating sugar (or any other new behaviour you are adopting), you are a totally different person at the end of that day. Learn to let that totally different person decide on the second day whether you want to do it again on this new day, rather than letting the same old person decide that it is only going to be difficult in a couple of days anyhow, “so what’s the use.” Always let the new you (the wiser and successful you), make the decision, and then you’ll be living your present moments and taking Key Steps to…
