How Do You Keep New Year's Resolutions?

Change is a constant in life and in business.  At the beginning of every year, people decide to make changes they state are important to them.  Why then do so many fail?

One of the biggest mistakes one can make at this time of year, is to make the standard "new years resolution".  Typically people make a resolution to lose weight, quit smoking, change careers, etc.  In most cases, by mid to end of January, most have given up on their "resolution".  The main reason for this is they were not committed to what they said they wanted.  

To avoid making the same mistakes in 2014, and having the same regrets at the end of every year, instead reflect on what you want to change and more importantly WHY you want it.  For instance, someone that wants to quit smoking needs to attach more emotional reasons to achieve the goal.  An example would be "I am going to quit smoking once and for all because I have lost people I love to cancer, I do not want to be a statistic, and I am going to set a better example for my children.  I am going to quit to improve my health so I can be here to see my children grow and experience the gift of being a grandparent.  If I continue smoking, my health will be affected, and I will be robbing my loved ones of time with me.  I am going to stop being selfish and buying my own excuses, and start putting my reasons for quitting in front of my awareness as I start every day"

The next steps are to change your habits.  Think about the effects that cancer has had on those you love.  Have you watched someone you love suffer and it tore your heart out?  Imagine putting your family through this pain, and how selfish it is to not take control of this. Imagine how they would feel having to watch you go through this.  

Decide what you are going to do when you "feel" like a cigarette.  What safeguards are you going to put in place.  Perhaps every time you feel like a cigarette, you could write a letter to those you love explaining why it was worth it to give up on your goal.  Look in your children's eyes and imagine how they would feel losing you, and ask yourself if the cigarette is worth it?  

This gives more emotional attachment to the goal, than making a simple statement such as "I'm going to quit smoking".   When we attach real human emotion to any goal and keep it at the forefront of our thoughts every day, it gives us the strength to push through the challenges we will face.   Understand there will be challenges.  Any habit that we decide to change, will present challenges.  It is up to us to find the strength internally to push through these challenges, without buying our own excuses.  With an emotional attachment to the goal like this, it helps us push through those challenging times until the new habit is formed.

This thinking can be applied to any goal, business or personal.  Nothing changes with the same thinking as we had previously.  In order to make a successful change, you must change the way you think.  Be the leader in your own life...start with one area, and you will learn how to apply this concept in every area of your life.....