Another year is coming to a close and it’s that time of year when many people start reflecting about the year that was and think about the upcoming years New Year’s Resolutions and Goals.
By Far the most common New Year’s resolutions are set in the
area of Health such as losing weight, choosing more healthy food options,
exercising more regularly, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol. This is
followed by Professional and Personal resolutions such as spending less time on
social media, reading more books, helping charities, creating a better
work/life balance, improving relationships and family life, saving money,
pursuing new career options and learning something new.
If you’re just about to set yours for the New Year and you
failed again in the last year, maybe NOW would be the perfect opportunity to
get a new perspective and the changing your approach to setting and achieving
your New Year’s Resolutions and then making them permanent!
Below are the steps that I have been successful with both personally
and with many of my coaching clients to achieving any goal and making their New
Year’s resolutions stick. I have simplified it into 7 steps;
1. Create your Resolution on your terms by Creating S.M.A.R.T Outcomes
Two things here;- Create the resolution on your terms. Find or
create a reason why you need to want to Implement it, achieve it and
make it permanent. Think about what will it cost you if you do not reach
your goal and visualise how great life will be when you’ve achieved it.
A simple example of a SMART goal would be “My goal is to walk for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, for the next 12 months”
2. Set the intention
In other words direct your mind to the purpose and plan and focus towards it. In this case it will be achieving your New Year’s resolution. You need a plan and you need to be focused on the plan and the outcomes. Part of your plan could be getting educated or hiring a coach or an expert in the area you want to achieve. You may need to join a support group or partner with someone who has similar goals and outcomes.
3. Make a Decision to Commit
A few tips on making decisions; get a balanced view on your gut feeling and logical thinking, tell someone that will hold you accountable, remind yourself of the cost and pain if you don’t make the decision and pleasure associated once you’ve committed to your decision and reached your goal.
4. Create your new Identity
It is important that you create a new identity. You may already have some of the identity traits to be successful in your New Year’s resolution or have been successful in a similar goal and have lost your way again, however remember if you have done it before you have a foundation and have it within you to do it again. If you have never set this type of goal, then you get the chance to create something new.
With your new Identity, you can give it a name; associate it to a
character, a face or symbol. You may also decide to give it a voice or think of
a word or phrase that you can associate with this new Identity.
Also you need to understand what traits your new identity will need to be
successful and you need to clear on the mission. In this case clarity is power!
If you want to become healthy you may need to learn the traits of an athlete
and model your identity on this.
Once you have done this you may find yourself having an internal
conversation and continually nurturing a relationship with this new identity. Internal
conversations would not be new to you. Like me, you more than likely always
talk to yourself about a whole heap of things like “Why did I do that”? Or “Why
did I just say that?” The secret in nurturing a new identity is to keep
praising it and encouraging it.
Once the Trust is established and when the time is right, you will
realise that in critical moments, you have handed control over to the new
identity and this is when you will find that some of those old habits disappear
and once this happens, you will feel free!
5. Take Action – The Daily Must Challenge
I am not going to make a statement on how long it will take
to make your New Year’s resolution stick as it would be different for everyone.
In summary, it will be determined by your need to stay consistent with your new
Identity. It may take you 30 days or 60 days or maybe even 12 months, however
for longer term sustainable change, the end is determined by the beginning.
Your environment will become important here as well as your relationships and support networks. Seek and learn from people who have already been on the journey that you are now undertaking or find experts who are at the top of their game and who can give you a new perspective and coach you through the process.
6. Living it
Once you have progressed through the initial stage and you’re getting
some results, this is where your New identity needs to take the lead. It will
lead you through all the tests all the challenges and all the temptation.
Although I encourage you to celebrate your wins, you need to be conscious of not getting too comfortable and look forward to stepping it up to the next level.
7. Step it up to the next Level
The hard work may be done however it is important that you remain congruent
with your new identity. This is where you take all your learning’s and experiences
to progress to the next level. Ensure you review your environment for success; continue
to educate your family and friends on your mission. The ones you love and the
ones that love you will be proud of you and will support you.
You will no doubt you will be tested however remember you will do
anything stay consistent with your Identity.
I am certain you can take these 7 steps and implement them Now and in the
future. Your destiny is in your hands so go out and create it on your terms.
I wish you the very best in your New Year and hope that your life will be transformed for you and by you and your New Year’s resolutions will become permanent.
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