Prepare For Success With New Year's Goals

Every day holds the possibility of a miracle. ~ Elizabeth David

This year, let's prepare for success with the right New Year's goals.

How many times have you made New Year's resolutions and then experienced disappointment because you let your commitment to change old habits fall by the wayside? Would you like this year to be different? Would you like to really foster the idea of Be the Change in your life as I do in mine? It is to your advantage to make changes. You will experience a life of great accomplishment or success; you will feel triumphant and satisfied. You are most definitely worth every single effort you make.

In many religious communities, Be the Change is recommended as a means of self-improvement. Fasting, sacrifice, or atonement is all about reflecting upon ways to Change!

Here are some very practical steps you can take to prepare for success this year with your New Year's resolutions.

Make a Big List: Write all the possibilities down. This simple act is a huge aid in accomplishment. Get a calendar or day planner where you can write down what you did successfully every day throughout the year. All these steps add up to your success.

What's Realistic? Once you have a big list, ask yourself what you really think you can actually accomplish, and whittle your big list down to something more practical - something you know you will persevere in. Choose only one or two things.

What's Your Motivation? Does it come from outside of you (My mom wishes I could sing opera) or does it come from inside of you (I'd like to make more money in a new job.) This is an area where you may have to delay gratification in order to accomplish the goal. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish it? If your Big List is about "I shoulds," who is behind that "I should?"

What Investment is Required? Do you need to buy raw food cookbooks? Buy exercise outfits? Hire a financial expert? How much money is tied into your goals and what are you willing to spend? Some very small financial investments can make big changes across a year's time.

How Will I Benefit from These New Year's Goals? This is the old WITFM syndrome - what's in it for me? Look deeply for how you will benefit. If it's about weight loss, here are some benefits as an example:
I'll feel great in my new size clothing.
I'll gain self-respect for taking command of my body.
I'll deepen my breathing while exercise as the weight falls off.
My friends compliments will make me feel good about myself.
I'll fit into the norm more easily.
I will know deep within myself that I can live without the 30 seconds of pleasure that extra mouthful of food provides.
I might join a support group and earn new friends.

Forgive Shortfalls and Begin Again! For you dieters this year, here's a helpful idea: in every week, there are 21 meal opportunities. If you go off your diet for one meal, you stayed on for 20! Praise the 20 and let the one slide by the wayside. You're only human. You make mistakes. As the old song says: Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off, and start all over again.

With some careful planning and a lot of thought, you can prepare for success this coming year and actually reach some of your New Year's goals.