Happy New Year???

This is the time when many write New Year’s Resolutions.

• In 2022 only 23% of survey participants (DiscoverHappyHabits) planned on making new year’s resolutions - down from 41% in 2016.

• The most popular resolutions for 2022 were: living healthier (23%), personal improvement and happiness (21%), and losing weight (20%).

• Reasons for failing – unrealistic goals, didn’t measure, forgot, had too many.

• Lack of mindset and skills.

These bullets do not surprise me. It is what I guide people to accomplish. So, how can we keep our resolutions?

1.     Address the Habits that are keeping you stuck.

2.     Ask yourself your WHY – the real reason you should perform a certain behavior.

3.     Determine your underlying motive and the timing.

4.     Determine the skills needed to accomplish the task.

5.     Write the steps you will take to change your habits.

6.     Measure and celebrate your progress.

7.     Find someone to hold you accountable.

So, whether you are part of the 23% who write resolutions or not, realize that most of us have not reached perfection. So, we are drawn to make changes in our physical, emotional, or spiritual selves to live life as a more idealized version of who we think and believe we can be. An example is those times you wish your efforts that day would have been more tolerant and less reactive but do not take action to change the situation.

 I would ask you consider doing three things daily and spend time reflecting on them for just 30 days.

• Thoughts/Feelings – Write them down and reframe your negative thoughts and feelings to amazing ones.

• Attitudes – We can control our attitudes on a moment-by-moment basis – project an attitude of gratitude. Research shows that our attitude toward others and ourselves determines our success. Treat everyone (and yourself) with respect and admiration.

• Actions - You become what you think about and act on most of your time. Act as if you have already achieved the success that you desire now.

The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. Melody Beattie

Celebrate the new year with me and let’s achieve a new us!