There's a wide range of responses to resolutions. Some people relish the fresh start that a new year provides and have boundless ideas and lists of what they'd like to do or change. Others are content with the status quo and prefer not to rock the boat. Many people, disappointed by their unsuccessful track records with resolutions, may scoff at the process. What's your take on resolutions?
Whether it's exercising, eating healthy foods, or cutting back on caffeine, why is it that people so quickly become disillusioned with their New Year's Resolutions? Would we all be better off simply not making resolutions at all?
I don't think so. I think it's important to honor our intentions. There's often a lull after the holidays that invites us to slow down, pause, reflect on the past year, and dream of the year to come. We vow to make changes or at least entertain optimistic fantasies when there are things we want to improve in our lives. An oyster requires an irritating grain of sand in order to produce a pearl; likewise our dissatisfaction may be the catalyst for change. A new year gives us a chance for a fresh, new beginning and an opportunity for transformation.
But how do we go about creating change that will stick, come February, March, and even May? Most resolutions fail because they seem like a lot of hard work. It's hard to be enthusiastic about something that's a struggle. Take a different approach this year. Make resolutions that are fun, exciting, and make you happy. Go for an enticing outcome, but make sure the process of getting there is enjoyable. My theory is: joyful resolutions naturally happen.
We each have a built-in tool that can help us envision and successfully commit to joyful resolutions. It's an internal compass that I call a Joy-o-meter™. It can tell you if you are heading in the right direction, if you are in danger of veering off course, or if you are completely derailed. Your Joy-o-meter can guide you in making decisions about starting, stopping, or changing a particular course of action. Because we are hardwired for happiness, our Joy-o-meter always gives a true reading without ever needing to be recalibrated. To consult your Joy-o-meter, get quiet and relaxed, and then check in with yourself to measure your level of joy.
Ask your Joy-o-meter:
o On a scale from 1-10, how happy am I?
o How joyful would (Fill in the blank with whatever is in question.)_______________ make me?
o How happy would I be if I eliminated ___________?
o How happy would I be to start ___________?
o What could bring me more joy? o How happy would I be if I made this change?
In The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama teaches that being happy is not difficult. It's a matter of discovering what makes you happy and then cultivating that in your life. The Joy-o-meter can be your inner guide. Have fun using this tool to create and stick to resolutions that magnify the joy in your life.
The New Years Song
But what prevents you from writing down your goals? Other people or yourself?
Most of the time, the voice that keep saying that you can't or that you don't deserve it is your own voice.
If it was only other people, you could remove yourself from these people. It would be pretty easy. The reality is that we talk to ourselves and most of this self-talk is negative.
I've found that for 90% of the cases, the following statement will be true: People don't write down their goals and dreams because either they think they don't deserve it or they think it's not possible for them or they think they are not capable of reaching that goal or dream.
My friends, it all comes down to one thing: do you believe in yourself? On a scale from 1 to ten, how much would you rate your level of self-esteem?
The level of your self-esteem will have an impact on the number of goals you write down, the number of goals you set and the number of goals you achieve.
1. I don't deserve it anyway! This has to do with you. This has to do with your feelings of self-worth. "Do I deserve it, do I have the permission to be a millionaire?" "Do I have permission to remain centered, instead of stressed and depressed" Feel these questions in your entire body. This is an essential step that your whole body and mind needs to accept and integrate.
2. I am not capable! This next part concerns your plan that you've outlined to achieve your goal. "Am I capable of taking appropriate action, following the different steps I've set up to succeed?" Once you've answered that question affirmatively, integrate this in your body and mind. You don't only need to know it cognitively but also emotionally. Your body is not just made up of a cognitive mind, but with emotions and feelings and the whole system needs to accept it.
3. It's not possible! Here we need to look at the path to reach your goal. "Am I convinced that it is possible to achieve my goal with these appropriate steps?" The path may be long or difficult. You need to build a strong belief that it is possible to follow the path that leads to great success. You need to persist and never give up, even when it becomes tough.
You need to literally transform these limiting beliefs and sure you can, because as they have been learned (through experiences, ideas?), they can be unlearned, restructured and changed.
There are three basic elements to reach your outcome: you, the plan or path, and the goal itself.
The belief you will develop for each element will form a winning belief system that will empower you in achieving anything you really want out of life.
These winning beliefs will give you more self-esteem and you will soon become unstoppable.
When we talk about the law of attraction, it all comes down to beliefs. When we talk about dreams, goals, independence, freedom, it all comes down to beliefs.
If you believe it is easy for you to realize your dreams, if you believe that you attract everything in your life for your best and highest good, if you believe that you have an unlimited potential, I mean, deep down, if you truly believe in yourself, there is nothing you can't do and you would set up goal after goal, achieving each one of them, or not, for your best and highest good.
Both Grace Durfee & Emmanuel Segui are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Grace Durfee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Family and Family. Grace Durfee is a Professional Certified Coach, trainer, and speaker who works with busy professionals, small business owners and career changers who want to achieve professional success while enjoying more balanced lives. She is the author of Balance wi. Grace Durfee's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
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