January is nearly over, and according to research from YouGov, only 28% of us will have managed to keep the New Year’s resolutions we set.
This is no surprise as the whole notion of ‘New Year, New Me’ and setting wildly ambitious resolutions is setting us up for defeat.
New Year’s resolutions tend to be based on the notion that we can completely change overnight – as though all of our current unhelpful habits will disappear at the stroke of midnight. I’ve lost count of the number of New Year’s resolutions I made in the past that would have basically required a complete personality transplant overnight to achieve!
Rather than this outdated, and ineffective way of approaching the New Year that tends to leave us feeling defeated and down, try these techniques that are designed to empower and uplift.
FLIP THE SCRIPT – New Year, Same Me
Same you, with a new way of treating yourself, either stripping away what’s not serving you, or bringing in more of what is.
BE INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR INTENTIONS
When it comes to setting intentions for the New Year & beyond, take some time to really tune into what you want and why you want it.
Top tips:
1) Be as specific as possible – our brains can really get on board with clear goals and desires so keep it simple and be as specific as you can
2) Be real – dream BIG and plan SMART – sometimes there is a temptation to go TOO BIG too soon, and then it becomes overwhelming or seems so out of reach. So break your goal down into manageable steps.
3) Ask yourself:
– Why is this goal important to me?
– What will reaching it give me?
– How would it feel to achieve it?
– What skills do I need to get there?
All these questions will give you valuable insights into why your goal matters and this will help with motivation as well as getting into the mindset of how it will feel to achieve it.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
FOCUS ON THE SKILLS YOU NEED
Rather than focusing solely on the end result, focus on the skills you need to cultivate to achieve them.
Take action to develop the skills needed:
E.g. If lack of focus is getting in your way – set a timer daily to do the work, start with 20 minutes, then increase steadily
CELEBRATE THE JOURNEY & THE DESTINATION
Every time you do anything that is a step in the right direction – acknowledge it & celebrate it!
There are always goals and future points to get to, but it is the steps to getting there that make up your day, your week and ultimately your life.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ‘FAIL’
Firstly note that ‘failure’ is simply a sign that you have taken action toward something you want.
You have had the courage to try and when you don’t succeed you always learn something and grow from it.
Better to ‘fail’ then to never even try.
Be COMPASSIONATE not CRUEL
• All or nothing attitude usually ends up at nothing
• Be encouraging every step of the way, even if it’s not going the way you want right now
PRIME YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS
Start to cultivate the feeling of achievement NOW, by getting into the mindset of having succeeded at your goal try this powerful technique:
VISUALISING YOUR SUCCESS
Our brains do not know the difference between what is real and what is imaginary – that’s why when we imagine something awful happening, it can affect us physically – we can cry, feel shortness of breath, feel our heart start to beat faster.
We can use this power of visualisation for good so try this short, powerful practise to get your mind and body in the state of success:
– Set a timer on your phone for 5 minutes
– Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths
– Bring into your mind the vision of you having achieved your goal
– Imagine it in the present tense
– Focus on what you are doing, wearing, saying, how you’re moving
– Focus on the feeling of having achieved it – happiness, joy, pride, excitement…
– Stay with this vision and all of the positive mental images and feelings that come through
Try this practise daily and see how it helps you realise your intentions in any area of your life.
60-MINUTE CORPORATE WORKSHOP – MASTERING YOUR MINDSET FOR NEW YEAR & BEYOND
Getting the right mindset can be a greatly empowering tool, and can also lift us up when we feel as though we can’t seem to follow through on our goals, whether professionally or personally.
For more details on this workshop, for you and your team, visit:
https://corporate.tulatherapies.com/#WORKSHOP
Or email me, Alex at hello@tulatherapies.com
Receive monthly inspiration from The Human Touch newsletter – for those with a passion for helping people thrive.
This newsletter encourages better leadership by providing high quality wellbeing insights and initiatives that encourage a healthier, happier and more motivated team. Sign up here