IMAGINE REALITY – Make this your best year ever!

What is it about New Years that allows us the freedom to imagine a new reality? This time of year is exciting because we can put the past year behind us, and while it may not be all bad, the potential for a remarkable new year, new life, new possibilities is just on the horizon!

Resolution, a word that is chock full of meaning, is right around the corner. Will you resolve to lose weight, make more money, or spend more time with your kids? Do you look forward to making a New Year’s resolution, or is it a chore you don’t expect to complete? Instead of dreading this annual tradition, we should embrace it as time for new beginnings. We should reach for the stars and really allow ourselves to aim high. Who says you have to have one resolution – what about saying yes to all of it? Say yes to every element and facet of your life you want to live! Here is how you can make your resolutions stick…

1.  For starters, while you may have New Year’s goals, they don’t have to be shackles with no flexibility at all. Give yourself some room for change. For example, if you are one of those thousands who want to lose 20 pounds, you don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself that you are resigned to eating strictly veggies. This only makes it all the more difficult on you to achieve that goal.
2. This brings me to my next point – Please be realistic. While I am all for achieving the impossible, sometimes it can be more detrimental to you if your goals don’t take your current obstacles into account.  AKA  – winning the lottery may not be in your future, so don’t make that part of your resolution.
3. Divide and Conquer. Make sure to break down your bigger goals into smaller tasks that you can attack with gusto each day.
4. Write it down. While some of us may not like keeping journals, it has been shown to help give concrete parameters to achieving all that you desire. Also, it helps us stay accountable. If nothing else make a daily “To Do” list so you can achieve a piece of each goal every day. And, you get the satisfaction of crossing off what you accomplish!
5. Find A Buddy. Who better to keep you accountable then a buddy? Please take great care when finding your Booster Buddy. Try and find someone who is supportive, and will hold you responsible. It may even be better if they were trying to fight a similar obstacle so that way you can bounce ideas off each other.
6. Use A Drawing Board. No this doesn’t mean an actual drawing board, unless you want one. This step requires that you check in with yourself and if something or some task you do is not giving you the desired results, go back to the drawing board…tweak…and try try again.
7. Celebrate your success! A lot of these steps address what happens if you fall off the wagon, but what if you attain the goblet of fire, the gold medal, the Noble prize of awesome, or the Pulitzer of amazing? You need to reward yourself for achieving your victories whether they be big or small. Positive encouragement is more likely to cement positive behavior!
8. Lastly, and my personal favorite, be grateful. Be grateful so you can understand how far you have come, and acknowledge that you are in control of your reality. This allows you to create more momentum, and, in no time at all, everything on your list will be accomplished!

Create YOUR Happy New Year, and make it your best year ever!