Every January first we have the opportunity to make the coming year better than the last. This involves making decisions of diet, exercise, and how we chose to use the year we have before us. Each of us get the same 24 hours a day for the 365 days of the new year.
Many of us make resolutions to change areas of our life which we’ve not been satisfied with. How well we mange to follow through with those resolutions involves several factors.
First factor in keeping the New Year’s Resolution involves desire. I remember years ago when I did hypnosis, I would have people coming to me to be hypnotized to quit smoking. I would always ask if quitting was their idea or their spouse. If they didn’t really want to quit, I would tell them to not waste our time and their money.
Trying to get people to change in areas they don’t want to is an exercise in futility. I can’t change anyones mind. It’s up to the individual to stir up desire for themselves. I can provide information, but what they do with that information is where the rubber meets the road. Developing desire comes with focus. Advertisers recognize this. If they repeatedly present their wares, getting us to focus on it creates desire. After we develop desire we find that keeping that desire alive requires maintaining focus. Any time distraction occurs, it can steal our focus and kill the desire. Knowing it’s time for the work-out and a special show comes on which you really wanted to watch can create compromise. The more we compromise, the weaker the desire becomes, and eventually we can abandon our dreams.
Years ago when we lived in West Linn, we had my little brother living with us. Dad exposed him to motivational speakers like John Maxwell with the Nightingale-Conant Personal Development Organization. This totally motivated him. He made the determination to study hard and focus on his physical development. He had a set time for these activities and when friends came by wanting to do any number of fun events during this time he would pass on them. His focus and desire translated into the third aspect, diligence.
The time and effort he put into developing his mind and body had the benefit of creating habits which have served him well these many years later. Did he miss out on some fun times? I can assure you there were times he wished he could take time off from his personally set obligations, but his life is so much richer today because of his sacrifices. He still amazes me and I’m very proud of him.
Diligence develops character and creates habits. Creating weekly newsletters takes time and effort to research, compose, and send these out every week. Do I ever find it hard to devote my time to them? I’ve got to confess, there are times I don’t want to devote the time, above and beyond my daily patient load to put these together. The reason I do so is because of the feedback from those whose lives are richer because of them.
Recently I heard from one of my beloved patients who publishes my articles in his newspaper. I’m honored that he would do this. Finding out people several states away, whom I’ve never met are experiencing improved health and vitality, is what keeps me going. Touching lives for the better is the fuel which keeps me going.
The point I’m making is that we need feedback concerning our goals. When you’re going through various trials in reaching your goal, you need some kind of measurement which shows your progress. If you’re working on physical fitness, decide what you’re capable of and document that. Keep a record of your progress. If you’re able to walk the treadmill for only fifteen minutes, document that. As that increases, write it down. Make graphs. You can do that with your weight, inches, reps, and any other area where you desire change.
When recording changes in diet, use a diet diary so you can keep track of how well you’re eating. We’re accustomed to rewards for efforts we put out. If you’re working on weight loss, don’t use food as your reward system. I remember when my wife wanted to quit a particular food which was bad for her, she make a pact with herself that if she went without eating that particular food for sixty days she could get the pair of boots she wanted. After the sixty days she got her boots and lost all desire for that food. We had the finances for the boots, but using them as the reward was perfect.
Should you decide to make a New Year’s resolution, think it over. Write it down and keep it where you can review it daily. Remove all obstacles to success. Envision your goal. What will your life look like when you succeed? Don’t be a resolution failure. Happy New Years Everyone!
Many of us make resolutions to change areas of our life which we’ve not been satisfied with. How well we mange to follow through with those resolutions involves several factors.
First factor in keeping the New Year’s Resolution involves desire. I remember years ago when I did hypnosis, I would have people coming to me to be hypnotized to quit smoking. I would always ask if quitting was their idea or their spouse. If they didn’t really want to quit, I would tell them to not waste our time and their money.
Trying to get people to change in areas they don’t want to is an exercise in futility. I can’t change anyones mind. It’s up to the individual to stir up desire for themselves. I can provide information, but what they do with that information is where the rubber meets the road. Developing desire comes with focus. Advertisers recognize this. If they repeatedly present their wares, getting us to focus on it creates desire. After we develop desire we find that keeping that desire alive requires maintaining focus. Any time distraction occurs, it can steal our focus and kill the desire. Knowing it’s time for the work-out and a special show comes on which you really wanted to watch can create compromise. The more we compromise, the weaker the desire becomes, and eventually we can abandon our dreams.
Years ago when we lived in West Linn, we had my little brother living with us. Dad exposed him to motivational speakers like John Maxwell with the Nightingale-Conant Personal Development Organization. This totally motivated him. He made the determination to study hard and focus on his physical development. He had a set time for these activities and when friends came by wanting to do any number of fun events during this time he would pass on them. His focus and desire translated into the third aspect, diligence.
The time and effort he put into developing his mind and body had the benefit of creating habits which have served him well these many years later. Did he miss out on some fun times? I can assure you there were times he wished he could take time off from his personally set obligations, but his life is so much richer today because of his sacrifices. He still amazes me and I’m very proud of him.
Diligence develops character and creates habits. Creating weekly newsletters takes time and effort to research, compose, and send these out every week. Do I ever find it hard to devote my time to them? I’ve got to confess, there are times I don’t want to devote the time, above and beyond my daily patient load to put these together. The reason I do so is because of the feedback from those whose lives are richer because of them.
Recently I heard from one of my beloved patients who publishes my articles in his newspaper. I’m honored that he would do this. Finding out people several states away, whom I’ve never met are experiencing improved health and vitality, is what keeps me going. Touching lives for the better is the fuel which keeps me going.
The point I’m making is that we need feedback concerning our goals. When you’re going through various trials in reaching your goal, you need some kind of measurement which shows your progress. If you’re working on physical fitness, decide what you’re capable of and document that. Keep a record of your progress. If you’re able to walk the treadmill for only fifteen minutes, document that. As that increases, write it down. Make graphs. You can do that with your weight, inches, reps, and any other area where you desire change.
When recording changes in diet, use a diet diary so you can keep track of how well you’re eating. We’re accustomed to rewards for efforts we put out. If you’re working on weight loss, don’t use food as your reward system. I remember when my wife wanted to quit a particular food which was bad for her, she make a pact with herself that if she went without eating that particular food for sixty days she could get the pair of boots she wanted. After the sixty days she got her boots and lost all desire for that food. We had the finances for the boots, but using them as the reward was perfect.
Should you decide to make a New Year’s resolution, think it over. Write it down and keep it where you can review it daily. Remove all obstacles to success. Envision your goal. What will your life look like when you succeed? Don’t be a resolution failure. Happy New Years Everyone!
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