New Year's Resolution

05 Jan Posted by marina

 We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle


We start the year with good intentions...I will finish that project, read a compelling book, visit a dear friend, etc.
 
Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions
10. Quit drinking/smoking
9.  Work out
8.  Get and stay organized
7.  Travel more
6.  Community Service
5.  Be punctual
4.  Find a job/change careers
3.  Reduce debt
2.  Discover a hobby
1.  Find a mate

 
Less then 10% of people make their resolutions a reality because they attempt to create change by using only their mind, in other words thinking them into fulfillment. Change is hard and tests our resolve and flexibility.  We get into habits and they are very hard to break. Try taking a different route to work let alone changing jobs.

Try the following approach to ensure success in the New Year. Create a chart to bring about the change you want -  one small habit at a time.


1. Focus on one behavior:
Extremely important. Habit change is difficult, even with just one habit. If you do more than one habit at a time, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Keep it simple and small, allow yourself to focus, and give yourself the best chance for success. This is why New Year’s resolutions often fail — people try to tackle more than one change at a time. Just saying you’re going to change the habit is not enough of a commitment. You need to actually write it down, on paper.

2. List the beliefs associated with the behavior:
You have incorporated this pattern into your life for a long time, identify why it has worked for you in the past or if it has not, why you held on to it.

3. Identify the feelings connected to the behavior:
There are four core emotions: sadness, anger, joy and fear. Know that feelings are one word, anything more than that is just a thought and belongs in the beliefs column.

4. List the benefits of giving it up or of replacing it with a new behavior:
You have to be very clear why you’re doing this, and the benefits of doing it need to be clear in your head. If you’re just doing it for vanity, while that can be a good motivator, it’s not compelling enough.

5. Do a 30-day Challenge.

Research has shown, it takes about 30 days to establish a new habit of thought or behavior, if you’re focused and consistent. This is a round number and will vary from person to person and habit to habit. But 30 days is a good number to get you started. Focus on becoming masterful in the activity or process that takes you toward your goal, rather than the goal itself. Rather than detracting from your goal it actually allows you to move toward it more effectively. Your challenge: stick with a habit every day for 30 days, and post your daily progress updates to your chart. If you are the social type, post your progress or lack of on http://30daychallenges.net.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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