New Year health resolutions; how to make them happen!
Many people start the New Year with a renewed focus or goal to be healthier, fitter, slimmer etc. We remind ourselves how great it is to look better and just feel more alive, so we join a gym, see a nutritionist, start taking a fitness class or whatever it might be. Only for many of us that feeling soon wanes; we lose our motivation, work gets in the way or any number of other excuses that we give ourselves….
Well BAM! This year let’s figure out what you can do to make sure you actually get what you want from your resolutions.
What do you want to achieve?
And that’s the first place to start. Be clear about what you want and why. Don’t think about the ‘how’ at this point, simply concentrate on the end result. Start by briefly reminding yourself what you don’t want or what you want to stay away from if you don’t take any action. Then begin to imagine what it will be like when you have got what you do want, as if you are already where you want to end up.
How will you know you have been successful and achieved your goal?
Be specific; really think about the top five to ten things that will be different about your life when you are fitter, healthier, slimmer or whatever it might be that you really want to improve. It’s usually easier to write them down. Think about what will be different about the way you feel and in what kind of situations specifically. How will you look different to yourself and others? What will people say to you to show they notice you are somehow different? What will you excitedly tell the people you care about that has changed for you? Thinking about these things should leave you feeling compelled to move forward and excited at how much more positive your life will be when you get to that end goal. If you don’t feel like that then you need to revisit these questions and enjoy spending the time imagining what it will be like, to make sure they are really compelling for you.
What is stopping you from achieving your goal?
If you are still struggling to make some changes then it’s possible there is something you perceive about your current situation that you simply not prepared to lose or give up. Something that you place a value on, which is important to you and a part of your identity. It could be of an emotional or physical importance. For instance, smokers quite often enjoy smoking because it still gives them a sense of rebellion and a feeling of power. By recognising this you can challenge yourself over whether it is an important enough aspect to keep hold of or perhaps look at other ways you can achieve this feeling, whilst still allowing yourself to pursue your overall goal.
Tips for success
So now you are clear about what it’s going to be like when you get to where you are going, you can start to make sure the journey of getting there is a relatively easy one. Here are a few helpful pointers for you to focus on.
- Look at your environment and lifestyle and ensure that whatever your chosen method of getting to your goal fits into that. So if it’s yoga; what are your options on where to go, the times of the classes, which classes might be busier than others, how realistic it will be to fit in the classes around your life? It is also important to recognise that there might be some areas of your life you don’t want to change so make sure you can work round them. If you need to make some adjustments to your schedule are they realistic and will you stick with them?
- What will you actually need to be doing in this new situation and is it something you have the skills and capabilities to do? If it’s something you haven’t done before, do you know what to expect and what level of skill, expertise or knowledge is required to get the results you imagined in the exercise above? If necessary, readjust your expectations and check again that this is still something you want to do. If not is there something else that will get similar results that is a more realistic option?
- What resources will you need to get to that end result? These could be practical such as financial investment, training requirements or simply inner resources such as motivation, commitment and persistence. How much of these resources are needed? And realistically, are you ready to commit to these resources? Check to make sure that you are really willing to make that investment in resources against the value that you put on the end result.
- What positive beliefs do you have in relation to what you want to achieve? Think about all the good reasons why the end result is important to you. Now honestly think about any reasons that you believe stand in your way of getting to that place. Be very clear about what they might be and then look for evidence in any other situation in the past that proves to you that you have overcome that belief. You can also come up with a strategy that will help support you in times when that belief will challenge you, such as getting the help of a friend, rewarding yourself with something or finding a picture that represents what achieving your goal means to you.
- Finally think again about all the positive things that you imagined in the first paragraph, as if you have achieved your goal. Now acting as if you have achieved your goal create an empowering statement, starting with ‘I am…’ that represents all that is important about getting what you want. So it might be something like ‘I am feeling healthy, strong, and buzzing with energy’. Make it personal to you.
Now think about the first two or three things that you need to do to get yourself moving towards that end goal. They could be book the first yoga class, buy a yoga matt, tell a friend what you are doing etc and then take that first step!
About the author
Lawrence Michaels DHypPsych is a Registered Hypnotherapist and NLP Coach based in Brighton. He is offering all YourDoc members a 30% discount on the first session booked.
Website: www.lawrencemichaels.co.uk
Contact Lawrence on 01273 748624 or lawrence@lawrencemichaels.co.uk
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