New Years Resolution: Make Lasting Change

So, what’s your New Years resolution for 2017? Do your New Years resolutions work?  Have you created a formula that will make lasting change with your New Years resolutions and goals? If you do, then I would like to hear about it.

The fact is, that 95% of all New Years resolutions are broken by the middle of January.

That’s right, by January 15th, it is likely that whatever New Years resolution that you have made will be broken. Sorry to be a “Debbie downer” but these are the facts and they don’t look good.

So what are we supposed to do? I’m not suggesting that you forgo the tradition of creating your New Years resolution but you may be wondering what the point is. Well, if you have been a reader of mine for any length of time then you know that I am a very strong believer in creating lasting change.

If you want to change your life then you need to be willing to grow and improve. This isn’t an idea that is suddenly formed on New Years Eve. Every day we have a brand new opportunity to change and improve ourselves. It’s my own personal belief that our life is a gift which means that we have an obligation to improve our self.

So what is inside of us which wants to create a New Years resolution in the first place and how do we make lasting change?

First off, we as humans want to grow. It’s as simple as that. We don’t really notice this innate need in ourselves but it’s there. We want to improve, most of us simply go about it all wrong. Many times, we put our ideas on a “wish” list and try to make goals around that.

Well, it’s no wonder our resolutions don’t last. 

If you wanted to make a New Years resolution to lose 20 pounds, you might think of it as a big undertaking, a drag and a feeling of overwhelm. There are a few steps that will help you hit the mark, not matter what your New Years resolution is for 2017. So lets get started on how to make your New Years resolutions stick!

1. Create a strong vision – What will you create for your life? What areas of your life do you want to change? You need to have a strong vision for what you want. Without this, you are stumbling in the dark. Think about things that excite you. Think about something that you want to change that is compelling that will “pull” you. I’ve talked about this before, pushing yourself or creating some sort of will power will never last. It is more ideal if you have a drive “to” what you want.
2. “Wish: list to “Must” list – Do you have strong enough reasons for this change that you want? This is imperative to have especially when times get tough. They can be positives or negatives, it doesn’t matter as long as you raise your standards enough for this change and say that you “must” do it.
3. Reasons are compelling – When times get tough, you may feel like quitting. It’s not uncommon for the change to be going well into the first week but it is in the second week when it gets tough. This is generally where the switch happens. You’ll either give up ore keep going depending on your standards, (i.e. if it is a must) and what sort of compelling reason you have to make this a lasting change.
4. Review and measure – Goal setting 101 states that you should write down what you want and review it to identify when you have made a milestone. There are further benefits in doing this. We can see progress and we can then celebrate it. This is important to us so that we can motivate ourselves to continue. Another benefit is that it becomes an affirmation or a mantra. When we review it, even several times a day, it enters into the mind and becomes more permanent. In this way, you can begin to “feel” it coming together and “see” you in this new way.
5. Resolve – The definition of this word is important. This is what separates the winners and the losers. Sorry to be so blunt. To resolve means to reach a firm decision or to cut off any other outcome. “This is how it’s going to be!” you say. The person who sets a New Years resolution into stone and and declares it as their new truth will reach their goals.

If you want this change bad enough, have a clear vision, and a compelling reason to do it, you WILL make lasting change. 

True commitment means that you’ll find a way to make it work, even when times get tough.

When you begin to look at your progress as you review your results, you will begin to feel happy. This feeds our motivation and we begin to feel exhilarated with our new goals and have hope to grow.

Things will change and times will get tough on your journey to reaching your 2017 New Years resolution but remember,  you will always get your musts but not necessarily your goals. If you are in alignment, excited to make the change and create an identity to what you want, then you will have lasting change.