Yes folks, it is that
time of year again. The time when we resolve to ‘lose some weight’, ‘give up
smoking’,’ finally finish writing that novel’. It's one thing to get swept up
in the hype and make a resolution, but it’s another thing entirely to stick to it.
The idea of making a resolution is to be resolute. The definition of the word
resolute is to be admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering, yet how
many of us can genuinely say that when we make a new year's resolution we
believe we are going to succeed?
To put it bluntly,
following through on a resolution takes determination and effort. If you’re not
willing to put in the effort then you’re only fooling yourself. Should you then
fail (which you will if you don’t commit) you’ll end up feeling worse than before
you made the resolution. When we feel bad we will often default back to our
habit of comfort eating, having a ‘sneaky’ fag, procrastinating about exercise
in favour of watching trash TV. Sound familiar?
The way to stop this
cycle is to first ask yourself deep down, if you really want to change. It’s
easy to say "yes, I don’t want to be fat" or "I want to be
healthier" or "I want to have my novel published". Many times
however the lure of the 'reward' (albeit temporary) overpowers our decision to
make a change and we can end up back where we were. If we truly want to succeed
we need to be immovable, like a mountain, and the way to do that is to develop
a strong and determined mindset. There are various ways to achieve this and I’m
going to suggest a few which when combined together can create a powerful
force.
- Simply put, choose just one thing you want to change and focus all your energies on that. People often write a list of things they want to change about themselves in the New Year, but again by doing that you are setting yourself up for failure. By stretching yourself in too many directions at once you will only be putting a fraction of your energy or resolve into each thing which will in turn bring only a fraction of the results.
- Visualise. Visualise. Visualise. Visualisation is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal and the beauty of it is that anyone visualise. If you’re new to visualisation there are many books on the subject which will help you realise the value of this and give you techniques to do it. One simple way is to find a quiet room where you won’t be distracted, close your eyes and picture in your minds eye what you would like to achieve. See yourself standing in front of the mirror in that dress that’s one or two sizes smaller than what you currently wear. See yourself walking or running easily without feeling short of breath and notice your more radiant complexion and fingers free from nicotine stains. See yourself as the proud author of your finished novel. Picture your book on Amazon or on the shelves of a bookshop. Imagine yourself signing copies of your work. Be detailed in your thoughts and experience the pleasure and relaxation that can be derived from this personal time. Do this for at least 5 or 10 minutes every day until you start to feel the feelings of having this be your reality. Notice how even when you are just visualising you start to smile and feel happier within yourself. Believe with your entire being that this is your reality and it could well come true. The mind is a truly phenomenal and it has the power to turn what we imagine into reality. A song that fits in with this idea is R. Kelly’s ‘I believe I can fly’. I would recommend listening to this as it sums up the idea of visualisation perfectly.
- Enlist the help of family or friends or find a self-help book related to your goals. By doing these things you give yourself a support network which can be very valuable. As humans we all stumble from time to time and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but rather than dwell on it and use it as an excuse to revert back to old habits, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and re-focus your mind. Having that support can make this process easier and also help reinforce why you have resolved to do this particular thing.
Put these ideas into
practice and make 2014 a year for positive change.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
