A Different Approach to New Year’s Resolutions
By Shannon Feather

2007 is right around the corner and yes, it’s time again to set some goals for the future. New Years resolutions can be exciting and rewarding when planned for and executed in a successful manner. Many people make resolutions but few follow through. Those that don’t are usually left feeling guilty and defeated. Here are some traditional and not so traditional approaches to doing it right and making the most out of the new beginning a new year brings.

Step 1: Forget starting January 1st and pick a different date. The number one reason most people don’t succeed is because they slip before they even start. January 1st may be the first day of the New Year, but many are still experiencing what I call “post-holiday excuse syndrome”. If there is one time of year many are prone to throw all restraint out the window, this is the time. Give yourself a couple of weeks to return to your normal routine with family, work and life in general and then start. Set your date for the middle of January or later. Mark it on your calendar with a big red circle and then relax and enjoy your Holidays guilt free.

Step 2: Write your resolutions down. Remember proper planning and preparation ensures success. The best plans are written and can be referred to at any time. Be specific and realistic about what it is you would like to do and by when. Develop a step by step process and post it in more than one place.

Step 3: Always have a plan B for achieving your goal: What works for one person may not work for you. For example, if you resolve to lose weight or stop smoking you have to be fully committed. True commitment means to do whatever it takes even if the first thing you do does not succeed. A back up plan or two already in place will keep you motivated and on the right track.

Step 4: Tell all of your friends and family your intentions. Peer pressure is a great motivator. Your family and friends will always be happy to remind you and encourage you, and if you slip they are always the first to let you know that as well.

Step 5: Visualize Success. Universal Law # 1 is that you make your life real by the thoughts you project. What you imagine in your mind now creates your reality. Begin visualizing yourself today having already achieved your goal. See it, feel it and experience it in your mind. Get yourself emotional and excited about the changes you are choosing to make. The more emotion and thought you put into your resolution the more likely you are to follow through.