If you are working on a new year’s resolution or “turning over a new leaf” for 2011 you have got to read this first. Why is this a must? After working with a multitude of people over the greater part of a decade I have a few nuggets of caution and suggestions.
The magical event of January 1st always carries with it the promise and hope of a new start. We are ready to put one year behind us and anticipating great things for our future. This is a great place to be mentally. To really take advantage of this seasonal “high”, I have compiled a few thoughts that will help put some longevity to your new “resolutions”.
The magical event of January 1st always carries with it the promise and hope of a new start. We are ready to put one year behind us and anticipating great things for our future. This is a great place to be mentally. To really take advantage of this seasonal “high”, I have compiled a few thoughts that will help put some longevity to your new “resolutions”.
For starters, make sure that you are secure in the driver’s seat of your life. The absolute most fundamental piece to creating and maintaining results is acknowledging the decisions you made so far. To make the new start we want, we MUST rip the victim paradigm out of our head. Top performers recognize their own personal contribution to the status quo. The people that get results define their circumstances and don’t let the circumstances define them. If you want the upcoming year to be different, don’t let any one person, establishment, group, system, or circumstance be the decision maker for your destiny.
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Be sure to have enough reasons to follow through. There is a lot to it other than just a conscious or logical reason for making it happen. For most people there is a disconnect between knowing and doing. If the disconnect wasn’t there, we would all be healthy, wealthy, and wise. For simplicity’s sake, that disconnect comes from a lack of emotional connections. We don’t act on what we know, we act of what we feel. There has to be a massive amount of pain connected to not making the change and just as much pleasure connected to making progress. There must be a compelling set of reasons that will drive you past the obstacles and challenges that will show up for you.
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Start now. You will not have to wait for a magical date. The power of now is your most valuable asset. Make a list of activities you will be doing and start now. Delaying your start only delays the actual learning curve. Many people like to have all of their stuff together before doing anything. That is faulty thinking however, because the learning is in the doing.
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Set up some consequence and celebration points. This is actually an extension of the previous paragraph about creating reasons. Get an accountability partner or coach. Also set up some kind of reward system(s) for making progress.
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Be sure that you focus on your progress not just the desired achievement. Success builds on itself. If you stay focused on just the achievement and don’t recognize the progress, it can be counter-productive. This is especially true if your goal takes an extended period of time.
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Because the subject of New Year’s resolutions can be so vast, it is difficult to hit all of it here. One thing is for certain, you either want to change what you are doing or you want to change how you feel about something. Take your life back and set your direction forward. Please take a moment and share some of your thoughts in the comment section here. Let me know which one of these tips you found most helpful. Also, feel free to ask questions. I promise to read every response and question. Keep well and keep moving forward!
Spencer
As a side note, be on the look out soon for our upcoming book “Get a Grip – the little how-to guide on taking your life back and creating results in a world of constant choices”.
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Be sure to have enough reasons to follow through. There is a lot to it other than just a conscious or logical reason for making it happen. For most people there is a disconnect between knowing and doing. If the disconnect wasn’t there, we would all be healthy, wealthy, and wise. For simplicity’s sake, that disconnect comes from a lack of emotional connections. We don’t act on what we know, we act of what we feel. There has to be a massive amount of pain connected to not making the change and just as much pleasure connected to making progress. There must be a compelling set of reasons that will drive you past the obstacles and challenges that will show up for you.
------------------------------------------
Start now. You will not have to wait for a magical date. The power of now is your most valuable asset. Make a list of activities you will be doing and start now. Delaying your start only delays the actual learning curve. Many people like to have all of their stuff together before doing anything. That is faulty thinking however, because the learning is in the doing.
------------------------------------------
Set up some consequence and celebration points. This is actually an extension of the previous paragraph about creating reasons. Get an accountability partner or coach. Also set up some kind of reward system(s) for making progress.
------------------------------------------
Be sure that you focus on your progress not just the desired achievement. Success builds on itself. If you stay focused on just the achievement and don’t recognize the progress, it can be counter-productive. This is especially true if your goal takes an extended period of time.
------------------------------------------
Because the subject of New Year’s resolutions can be so vast, it is difficult to hit all of it here. One thing is for certain, you either want to change what you are doing or you want to change how you feel about something. Take your life back and set your direction forward. Please take a moment and share some of your thoughts in the comment section here. Let me know which one of these tips you found most helpful. Also, feel free to ask questions. I promise to read every response and question. Keep well and keep moving forward!
Spencer
As a side note, be on the look out soon for our upcoming book “Get a Grip – the little how-to guide on taking your life back and creating results in a world of constant choices”.
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