New Year’s Resolutions That Stick
January 2009
New Years resolutions are an opportunity to acknowledge your successes over the last year and take stock of what needs attention in the year ahed. Take a moment and reflect on what went well last year and what you are most proud of accomplishing.
How did that feel? A lot did happen! Well done. Now, it's the New Year. What seems important to you now? What would a fulfilling and meaningful life look like to you? It could be that some areas just need tweaking or maybe one area is really out of balance. What is it going to require of you to make the change?
Whatever your greater purpose, it starts with taking care of YOU and putting your well-being FIRST. You know the message on airplanes, "Put on your own oxygen mask first before assisting others." You are in a better place to serve others when you take care of yourself first.
Here are some tips to help you follow through on your
New Year's Resolutions:
Make small, gradual changes - Take small steps. Pick one thing and try it for a week. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. The next week, add a five minute daily walk around the block to refresh yourself. The following week, drink tea at nighttime to relax or a guided mediation CD to eliminate nighttime eating. Start small so you can experience success.
Take yourself seriously - Keep commitments to yourself first. If you are a stay at home parent, in charge of many employees or your work is dedicated to helping others, you are good at responding and taking care of others' needs. In the same way you are successful with your commitments to others, you must keep your commitments with yourself too! Make an appointment in your calendar when you will exercise, meditate, relax, start that project and stick with it! You are as worthy as those you serve.
Have a support buddy - You are much more likely to accomplish your goals when you tell someone else. Accountability research shows people are more likely to follow through on their goals if they:
- Hear the idea - 10%
- Cognitively choose to incorporate the idea - 35%
- Consciously choose & have a plan with the How & By When - 50%
- Tell someone about it - 65%
- Have an Accountablility Partner - "I am going to do ____;and follow up with you about it by____ " - 95%!!! That's astounding! So commit with a friend to support each other's goals, or hire a coach!
Food for Thought:
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Contact Andrea to see how coaching can help you accomplish your New Year's resolutions, make your well-being a priority and make life shine! See how others have made Wellness Coaching work for them. Try a complimentary 30-minute coaching call and take a "test drive."
847-971-3643 / andrea@hgcoaching.com
