I recently read an article that stated most people will have forgotten what their New Years Resolutions were by the end of January. I would imagine it would be hard to stick to those resolutions when you can’t even remember what they are!
Among some common top Resolutions were…
- Losing Weight
- Quitting some habit (smoking, cigarettes, etc.)
- Enjoying life and free time more
All of these are great Resolutions, but very hard to achieve when there’s
- No Emotional Juice, or
- No Goal or Definite Target, or
- No Commitment or Reminders
Here are three easy-to-follow proven techniques that will ensure your success in accomplishing your New Year Resolutions.
1. What’s the prize?
One key to success when making new goals (or Resolutions) is to set yourself up to win. Make every goal fun and somehow emotionally rewarding.
Imagine that you’re a child again and that you need to entice yourself to work for that goal. What will be your reward for cleaning your room, or joining a gym? Where’s the Fun in the goal?
Every parent knows that a little reward can go a long way with kids. Do we really change as adults? I don’t think so. Set your reward and make sure that it’s FUN.
2. Define Success
Know when to celebrate by setting a definite date and criteria. An example statement would be, “I love feeling fit at my new weight of ___lbs by June 1, 2007.”
3. Use Reminders
Again, it’s impossible to work on those Goals and Resolutions when you can’t remember what they are. I love taping goals up where I’m bound to see them at least once a day or more. The refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, you car dashboard, all of these are great places for taping up reminders. Here’s a great way to word a reminder.
I love the feeling of choosing a Fit Body! I love the feelings when I choose to eat in ways that support my Fit Body! I love the feeling of exercising because I know it further supports my Fit Body! Another easy way to give yourself reminders is though email. Many popular email programs allow you to setup an email to be sent at some future date and time. Or, visit www.FutureMe.org and send email reminders to your Future-Self. Here’s an example of a short reminder that you can send to yourself.Send Dates: February 28, 2007; March 30, 2007; April 30, 2007…
Text:
Dear Me, How goes the goal of “Becoming a Non-Smoker”? Did you make the hypnosis appointment that I said I was going to? Did you find three friends and make the pact to quit smoking that I said I would do? Did you follow-up with them to see if they were also taking steps towards their goals? I’m sure that you’ve already been working on this goal and it’s a Done-Deal. If so, take time now to pat yourself on the back and Celebrate, just the way I planned to in advance! With love, Me.
So remember, with just a little prompting and a little reminding, you’ll be certain to make those New Year Resolutions, and any new goals that you choose to set!
To your success,
Patrick Rodriguez is a Life Coach, NLP/hypnosis trainer and former corporate Project Management Consultant. By using his former corporate background in project management and strategic planning, Patrick helps his clients set long-range targets and break them into short-range achievable goals. To add to the success of his clients, Patrick uses NLP and hypnosis during his sessions.
Please visit http://www.PatrickRodriguez.com for information on personal coaching and more tips in his newsletter, Action Inspirations. | |
