By now, 92% of New Years resolutions have failed.
“This year is going to be better than before. This new job, new relationship, new house, new car… is going to be better. I will make more money, be healthier, lose more weight and feel better.”
Then life unfolds, and we find out that it isn’t better. We are in the same place we started. How did we get here, again?
Changing our circumstances will not produce lasting change. Being hopeful won’t get us anywhere. Motivation is great, but what if we are motivated to do the wrong thing? The only way to change is to take on a new attitude, have a plan and take bold action.
New Attitude:
Upgrade the little voice in your head. Your self-talk becomes your life so take it up a notch.
Decide to be more disciplined, focused, organized, positive or motivated. Find your weakness and make it a strength. What do you need more of? Less of? Where does your mind need to be in order to perform at it’s highest level?
When doubt creeps in, know how to fight it. Doubt is a liar. It’s main goal is to get you back in you comfort zone. Be strong! Throw out that mental garbage and replace it with thoughts that empower you.
Guilt is not a motivator. It doesn’t help you one bit. It is pure self-torture. If you fall off the wagon, just dust yourself off and get back on. If you mess up, get up and keep moving. Remember, fall seven times and get up eight!
Most people give up when they fail and go back to their old behavior. You should allow yourself to fail. Set a goal of permanent, lasting change in your life. This kind of change allows for many new beginnings. Sometimes it takes a few failures to get you to the “never again”, “I’m done” or “I am committed” place. Setbacks can break you or motivate you to get serious.
Thoughts don’t happen by chance, they happen by choice. Choose wisely.
Have a Plan:
What do you want? Why do you want it? How will it feel when you get it? Are you willing to make sacrifices for it? Write it down with clear action steps. Break the it down into bite sized pieces. Then put those steps in your calendar, or to-do list and hold yourself accountable daily.
Don’t let your emotions and feelings disrupt your plan. If you don’t “feel” like exercising, it doesn’t mean you should skip it. You may not “feel like working on a project or having a date night. Follow the plan, not the feeling. You may get emotional about something or someone you are giving up. Respect yourself enough to walk away from something that no longer serves you, grows you or makes you happy. Emotions are a normal part of letting go.
BOLD Action:
Get ‘er done. Do what you said you were going to do. Be sure that your daily actions are aligned with your plan. And remember…. procrastination and distractions will derail you. Be laser focused.
Bold action means consistent, focused, over the top, like you’ve never done before ACTION. To produce a different result, you must take different action, make different choices and think differently.
Don’t let fear inter”fear” with your action. You CAN do it. You WILL do it. And if you don’t know how to do it, you will learn.
Don’t other people talk you out of your action. Your change may pose a threat to someone close to you. Understand their point of view and reassure them of your continued commitment.
You have enormous power inside you to get anything you want. It’s time to activate it!
