So – did you set New Year’s Resolutions or good intentions (or plan to do something better / bigger / less, etc.) for 2013?
There seems to be a cycle that people often get into; setting great resolutions and then beating themselves up because by the time February (or even the middle of January!) roles around – they’ve lost sight of their resolve.
This year can be different… you could choose to have New Year’s good intentions rather than resolutions. Many people find that they are not able to stick to their resolutions because they remember past attempts at self-improvement, and it can bring up negative thoughts and emotions which in turn emphasizes a belief in failure.
The following are some suggestions to tweak your good intentions so that you will achieve amazing success in 2013.
Look on the bright side
Instead of seeking to fix a negative in your life, make your goal based on what your ideal result is. For example, rather than “I need to lose 20 pounds” (a negative) say “I am becoming slimmer, fitter and stronger” (much more positive). This will help you stay motivated and move away from your thoughts about why you have not succeeded in the past.
Take it one step at a time
Look at each goal you one at a time and consider how much effort and money (if applicable) will be involved with each. This will help you to not feel overwhelmed. Then ask yourself how important each goal is. Which one do you want to achieve first? Which one will have the greatest impact on your happiness? Then you can draw up a plan that is just right for you.
What’s the Why?
Figuring out the real reason you want to achieve something will give your goal a more significant value and help you overcome any potential roadblocks or set backs. So… are you trying to lose weight to look good for a specific event in your life – or is it in order to feel better about yourself and thus give you more confidence in every aspect of your life?
Be open to receiving help
The power of community is extremely valuable in keeping on target to goal achievement, whether it is someone giving advice, being a sounding board or holding you accountable. Enlist the help of a life coach, hypnotherapist, workout buddy, nutritionist, financial adviser or any other expert or pro that would support you in achieving your dream.
Write down what you are doing
It helps to write down – even if it is in rough note form – what you are doing each day to reach your goal. Celebrate your success. That will also give you an outlet for tracking your progress… keeping you motivated and focused on what your desired result is.
As always – I am here to support and inspire you in any and all ways that I can!
To help you with those intentions and getting going in the most powerful way for you – I have some tools that you can download when you sign up at http://youunstuck.org/intentions
I loved the use of intentions rather than resolutions.There are so many negative thoughts about resolutions that it can set someone up for disappointment. Great post, Moira-thanks!
Thanks Lisa! Yes – isn’t our language interesting? We certainly do not want disappoint or even undue stress to creep into things we want for our highest good do we? ;).
I really need to work on the celebrating my successes one 🙂
Yes Catherine – sometimes just pausing and patting yourself on the back helps a lot ;).
I set intentions too, I see so many rerslove to do things only to disappoint themselves. I think its kinder and gentler to set intentions, making the journey far more fun!
I agree Anita – intentions feel kinder than resolutions – whatever the words chosen… it’s important to enjoy the ride – the fun is all in the journey!
P.S. Love the idea of *rersloving* to do things – feels a little more loving than *resolving* 😀
I changed my eating habits rather than “diet” and I took a walk or rode my bike rather than “worked out”. It’s all in the perception. Encouraging post with great tips!
Good for you Kim – changing habits to find your own healthy lifestyle is perfect!
What a great idea to have intentions rather than resolutions! That’s a great reframe! It really does help to write down what you’re doing and I find that works really well for me, too. : D
Yes – writing things down is often the best first step to making things happen ;). Thanks Sherie!
What a great list of strategies to re-frame for success. I especially liked “what’s the why?” I also find it helpful to reflect on the accomplishments of the outgoing year – we often forget just how much we’ve done!
Great suggestions here. We do sometimes take on more than we can do, so it is good to question ourselves. It can make all the difference to get support and “Enlist the help of a life coach…” can be so valuable. Thanks for sharing.
Intentions do not lead to success…it is those action steps that do! Great article!
“Figuring out the real reason you want to achieve something will give
your goal a more significant value and help you overcome any potential
roadblocks or set backs.” ~ love this! Yes, once we know why… it gives so much more power to commit and achieve our goals… Thanks a lot, great article!
Great tips, Moira. Love setting intentions rather than resolutions!
Love the “intention” tips, Moira. So many people get “beat up” by their resolutions early on in the year … looks like you might save a few of them from that fate! 😉