Here are 3 tips to setting New Years Resolutions (NYR) with lasting change!
1. CHOOSE YOUR IDENTITY
When I was 19 years old I pulled my back. And then it happened again, and again, and it got to the point that my parents wouldn’t let me pick up heavy items. My friends were constantly telling me to be careful. My identity changed from being “normal” to “suffering” from back pain. It took me 12 years of living in mediocrity until I had enough of the pain, but the pain gave me the leverage to change! A time comes when enough is enough!
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I met a life coach who looked at my health goal, "NO back pain", and encouraged me to take on a different identity by using different language. I had to think hard, I crossed off "NO back pain" and replaced it with "I have STRONG powerful back!" Instantly, I felt a shift in my identity. The OLD story started to change to a NEW more empowering one. I realised just how much FEAR I had lived with, so I decided do something I thought I would never do: I joined a martial arts* school. I was so scared before the first class, however, through careful warming up, stretching and guidance from a really good instructor, I started to believe in my heart that I do have a Strong Powerful Back! I also caught myself saying, “I do martial arts” and changed that to “I am a martial artist!” It feels different. The same if someone said "I play the piano" and changed it to "I am a Pianist!"
What empowering identity will you choose? What new story will you tell yourself?
2. MAKE THAT DECISION
We make decisions all the time, however, when it comes to New Years Resolutions, one small decision could literally change your life for the better. The Latin root of the word decision is ‘decidere’, which literally means 'to cut off from'. A true DECISION is like going sky diving. You jump and there is no option to sit back down. It’s not even possible to sit back down! There are no other possibilities except landing where you set out to land.
There are many times we can get fooled into thinking that we made a decision, but it was not followed through. It was more like standing on the door way of the plane ready to skydive and having the choice to sit back down. A true decision means you burn all bridges and make it happen, find a way, no matter what. The problems create the opportunity to grow, learn, adapt and get better and better in the University of Life.
What if we choose to focus on the little things that really matter, that have the potential to make the biggest impact in our lives? The decision to let go of something first can create more of an impact than deciding to keep adding more and more things into our lives. Here are some examples of small yet mighty decisions that we can choose to make in different areas of our lives:
Energy & Vitality NYR
First - What Do I need to remove from my life?
- Too much television at night?
- Too much caffeine?
- Not enough sleep?
Instead I choose to
- Read a book
- Switch to Turmeric Lattes or Shroom Magic
- Journal what was magic today/ go to bed early
Money Related NYR
First - What Do I need to remove from my life?
- Spending too much eating out ( also affects my health)?
- Getting into more and more credit card debt?
- Paying too much rent?
Instead I choose to
- Take my own lunch to work save $20 a day = $100 a week = $5200 a year
- Pay off $100 a week towards my credit card debt.
- Move back in with my parents and save for deposit for a house
Fulfilling Relationship NYR
First - What Do I need to remove from my life?
- Pretending everything is ok?
- Too many distractions and not being present?
- Not spending quality time with the family?
Instead I choose to
- Have a honest conversation to work things out.
- Be present and find out his or her love languages.
- Schedule in quality time.
When now will you choose to make that small yet mighty decision?
3. KEEP FOCUSED!
3 questions that will help keep you on track.
- What was Magic this week?
- What did I learn?
- What will I do even better now as a result of this learning?
- Schedule your week into your calendar and highlight the 3 to thrive, the actions that you MUST complete and follow through on because you know it will make the biggest difference.
TIPS
Little things can make a BIG difference. Some of our most important resources are free.
Let’s take natural light as an example. Did you know that stopping artificial light at night and by stepping outdoors within 15 minutes of waking up makes a big difference to your circadian rhythm? Also worth noting, if you think you get enough light through your glass windows, according to Dr. Huberman, it will take 50 times the amount of time to reset your body clock! Just a simple habit of getting outdoors could improve your sleep, energy levels and mental health.
BONUS STEPS
Create a Vision Board
I started using vision boards when I was in my early 30’s. I would cut out the house I would love to live in or places I would love to travel to. I remember waking up in my room in London every morning and seeing these houses with palm trees near the ocean. I used to walk around the local park and imagine I was walking on the beach even though it was often cold, wet and grey. I did that for about 8 years consistently. I’m 52 years old now, living in Australia, 2 minutes from the beach and whether it’s a coincidence or not, the process gave me a focus of choosing life on my terms. Looking back, it was like rehearsing or believing in something and following through. I only needed 3 resources that were readily available if I chose to notice them within me: Consistency, discipline and commitment.
Over the years, my vision board has became more purposeful and focused on things that are more important, such as our purpose to help youth, our health and vitality, being happy and joyful.
RESOURCES
REMEMBER
*Always seek the help of a qualified health professional before participating in activities that you are not sure about based on your abilities.
