Many of us start out the New Year with a gangbuster attitude that is sparked by a list of desired goals combined with a hopeful expectation for change. While this is a great way to psyche yourself up, somewhere along the way you may lose steam and those best intentions wind up falling along the wayside similar to previous years. The good news is that you have another opportunity to make a choice to do things differently this time around.
To help get you started on this new path, consider the following ideas:
1. Set your intention for a specific state of being and focus on that rather than an outward goal; for example, creating inner peace, introducing more fun in your life, etc. With this in mind, ask yourself what you need to do in your life to support these intentions. And then write out those steps or actions that you can follow through with each week, using a consistent and reasonably paced timetable.
2. Ease yourself into the New Year. Be realistic about your goal; ”Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither is your goal. Allow yourself the time to accomplish it.
3. Write out a plan of action that is very specific and break down your goal into smaller baby steps that you can take, which will move you closer to your end result. This will prevent you from being like some people who put forth lofty goals but forget to put the necessary foundation beneath them, which is required for their completion.
4. Again, be realistic. If it is a diet, think of it instead as a plan for eating that is healthy for you. Therefore, make the goal about being healthy rather than dieting. And allow time for you to make those subtle changes. Each week plan to let go of one negative eating habit and then implement a new positive habit in its place. Focus on feeling good in your body rather than tying up your energy into the numbers game of weight and calories.
5. Realize that we can sometimes put a lot of pressure on ourselves. When making changes, know that it is a process, so go easy on yourself. Allow the time for your body and mind to get accustomed to a new way of operating in the world. You’re basically re-programming yourself so allow for slip ups along the way. It’s not about being perfect so remember to factor in the obvious learning curve.
6. Don’t try to accomplish too many things at once, which can set you up for overload, leading to failure. Instead, apply your energy to one or possibly two specific goals at any one given time. As you achieve your first goal, you will get a great feeling of accomplishment combined with a taste of success. This in turn will energize you, and as you build on these feelings, you will have more impetus to move ahead with yet another one of your goals.
After you put all of these practices to use, acknowledge and reward yourself for your perseverance and commitment to yourself and to your accomplishments.
May you have a Happy and Healthy New Year that fulfills you in every way!
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