New Year’s Resolutions – Do it with a Difference in 2009!
Year after year we sit down with our special New Year notebooks, a bunch of coloured pens, and we start our list of resolutions, which seem to be surprisingly familiar.
We’ve definitely seen this list before; was it last year, or maybe the year before? Most likely it’s a variation on the same list we’ve been writing for years and years.
Ouch!
This year, I’m going to make two very small and very simple recommendations, which will make a huge difference to the New Year’s Resolution business, which so far, seems to have got you nowhere!
1. Keep it simple; most people find that their list of things they want to achieve is really very long, sometimes even many pages of how they want it be and what they want to do. There’s so much there it’s quite overwhelming just to imagine it!! Can you imagine how your brain feels when it sees this really long list? My guess is your brain does a double-take and says “Oh no, not again!!” and shuts the ‘creative achievement’ door. Do you blame it?!
This year, from the very start, it’s all going to be so much more fun! This year you’ll guarantee success by setting yourself only three resolutions. And, this is the most important part of this tip, two of the three have to be easy to achieve.
There’s two very good reasons for this.
Firstly, it’s no longer overwhelming, it looks and feels smaller, simpler and easier, so your brain (the subconscious or ‘creative achievement’ part) will be open and excited about doing this.
Secondly, when you’ve achieved the two easy ones, you’ll feel so good about yourself, you’ll see yourself as an achiever, you’ll have the experience of success, and this will give you the fuel and motivation to achieve the third resolution.
And, the bonus is that next year, you’ll definitely not have those resolutions repeating themselves on your list!
2. Set an intention. Forget about lists, they’re dull and lifeless and no wonder your unconscious mind switches off when you make them year after year! No, this year, you’ll do something more imaginative, more colourful and more enticing by far; whatever you want to achieve, whatever your resolutions are (remember, only three!) this year you will set them as intentions.
Here are some examples to make it even clearer:
- My intention is to make a serious career change;
- My intention is to meet someone wonderful;
- My intention is to become fitter and maintain a new and regular routine.
Alongside each of these, write a small paragraph describing exactly what you mean when you say ‘a serious career change’ or ‘meet someone wonderful’ or ‘become fitter’. This part is where you can be colourful and creative with your language, so that you can see it, feel it and hear it, as if you were already living the resolution, as if it was already happening, already achieved.
The reason this works is that we tend to focus on what we don’t want in life (When someone says to you “What would you like to eat?” do you find yourself saying “Well, I don’t want the chicken, and I don’t want the mash…”) By setting intentions you are doing exactly the opposite, you’re focusing, committing and consciously thinking about what you are going to actually make happen in your life.
Remember, with two simple and easy tips, and only three do-able and achievable resolutions, you’re on your way to huge success in 2009!!
And when you’re ready to go further, I suggest you seek out a coach of your own, who’ll work with you and support you with whatever you want to make happen. You’re also welcome to contact me anytime.
Wishing you an exciting, healthy and prosperous 2009!!
All the best,
Natalie
Hani Al-Qasem and
Natalie Dee
co-authors of
Self-Confidence Building in 7 Steps
If you want to have the self-confidence to lead a more fulfilling life, be sure to read the tell-all guide
Self-Confidence Building in 7 Steps to rocket your self-confidence and self-esteem to achieve all that you want.
