Maximize Your Success For Your New Years Resolution

So when is the right time? If you’ve ever made a New Years resolution or know someone who has, you know the chances of success are lower because a) you probably spent the month of December overspending, pleasing people, and pleasing members. of the family that avoids the most of the year and b) you have the habit of unconsciously thinking and acting in a certain way that is counterproductive to your goal.

The good news is that you can make a conscious decision now, and you have more than a month to make that change and avoid the pitfalls. It only takes 21 days to form a new habit and break an old one.

1) Raises awareness

Identify the set of behaviors in relation to the area you want to change. This requires thinking a bit about what you are doing or not doing, and possibly the reasons behind these actions. Most of what we do is routine and we may not even realize that we are on autopilot. Take a step back and look from an outside perspective. It can be helpful to write this down and you will be surprised by what you see. You will probably find that you are spending quite a bit of time that you think you didn’t have doing things you don’t want to do. This new level of awareness will induce you to make a better decision consciously.

2) Identify the behaviors that need to be stopped.

Many of us spend too much time watching television, aimlessly surfing the Internet, and a variety of other distractions, but we say we don’t have time to do the things we want to do. We drove when we could walk at least part of the way. We drink too much or light that cigarette that we don’t want. We make impulse purchases without considering options and affordability. It helps to allow some leeway on a conscious level so that the new change remains a challenge and does not become a chore. Our level of awareness of our behaviors will show us where change can take place.

3) Replace unwanted behaviors with new positive ones.

Make a conscious decision to stop doing one thing and start doing another. It will depend on the behavior and the person whether abstaining altogether or gradually introducing a new behavior will work best. If it needs to be a gradual change, consistency and progression will be necessary, so it is important to have a plan and review it every few days.

4) Avoid procrastination and develop motivation

The key to avoiding procrastination is taking action. Just do it. Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 regarding reaching your goal. Ideally, you’ll want to be at an 8, so if you score lower, it might be helpful to write a pros and cons list. This is your goal, so the pros will outweigh the cons. Motivate yourself by visualizing how you will feel when you have achieved your goal. Break it down into steps, take each step one at a time, feel good about each step you take, and move forward one day at a time. It can also be helpful to tell someone else what you are doing. We are more inclined to commit to something if we have told someone we respect that we are going to do it. That extra support will help keep you motivated.

Good luck and Happy New Year!