How to (Really) Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions

I confess, I’m a “goal geek” and I still passionately look forward to making New Year’s Resolutions. Why? Because I love to curl up on my couch with a crackling fire and hot cup of coffee to just let myself dream. It feels freeing, light, full of hope and inspiration. Now I know that you can create your life anytime you want. But there is something about this time of year that gives me full, unadulterated permission to wipe the slate clean and just start fresh.

People often ask, “How do you stick to those resolutions? I start inspired and focused but never follow through.” Full disclosure, there have been plenty of times, that by January 17th, the average day most people abandon their newfound goals, I have fallen off the wagon too.

But I have learned, in order to make New Year’s Resolutions work….these 5 things must happen.

1. Resolve - Resolution comes from the root word resolve, defined by good ‘ol webster dictionary as: firm determination to do something. Often, we make resolutions from a place of hope, yearning or “not wanting” what we have right now. However, it is not grounded in a firm commitment to make it happen.

Decide what you really want and resolve to do it.

2. Create Goals that Excite You – I call them big grin goals because they should make you smile, maybe even squirm a bit in your seat.

Take a moment and close your eyes, imagine already having achieved that goal. Where are you? Who is around you? What are you doing? Most important, how do you feel? Bask in the feelings of excitement, happiness, pride, maybe even peace.

Those are the emotions that will keep you going when the going gets tough. They also create the vibrational energy that is necessary to manifest the guidance, opportunities, and results that you are seeking.

3. Up level Your Identity - Tony Robbins says, “The most powerful force in the human psyche is people’s need for their words and actions to stay consistent with their identity- how we define ourselves.”

Essentially, we will only do the things that we safely believe are “right” for us. To achieve bigger and bolder goals, we must expand that “safety zone” and redefine what is possible for our lives.

To begin that expansion, answer, “What must happen for these dream goals to be achieved? What must I believe for these goals to happen? What would a person who believed these goals were possible, do?”

4. Take Action - Action to me is like fuel in a car. It provides the energy and ability to get from point A to point B. Plus, action breeds more action. It helps shift your perspective, gives you evidence that you are capable, and it helps inform and inspire the next action.

So, I turn it back to you, “If you believed your dream goals were possible, what would you do? Listen to what comes up and trust that those actions are specifically right for you… then schedule and do them!

5. Consistently Review, Assess and Revise - I believe one of the biggest mistakes people make is to design these beautiful and inspired goals, take big, concerted action and then stick their list in a drawer never to be seen until December of the following year. I’m not the only who has done that right? ;-)

My husband has an unbelievable success rate for achieving his resolutions. I asked, “What’s your secret?” He responded, “I make goals that are exciting and achievable, I look at them every day and I tweak my actions or the goal when necessary.”

Resolutions aren’t engraved in stone. Allow this to be a fluid process. Life happens, things change, we may even change what we want.

So, place the goals where you can review them daily. Assess: Are your beliefs and actions in alignment with what you want? Are you getting results? Is it still what you want? If so, celebrate and keep going. If not, revise. And Repeat.

With that, I wish you a Happy, Healthy and Abundant New Year.

Go out into 2022 and SHINE!

PS. Are you tired of making goals and not following through? Are you ready to commit to making 2022 a year that makes you happy and proud? I have 3 open spaces for new coaching clients. Email [email protected] to set up your Bold and Better 2022 Discovery Session.