Are You Mentally Ready for a New Year’s Resolution?

It’s that time again. You’re getting excited to enter the New Year and you are wondering if this will be the year you finally stick to your goals, a.k.a. your New Year’s resolutions. In this article I will provide a few powerful and proven tips to help you mentally prepare yourself for achieving your goals in the year 2015 and beyond!

Shoot for the Stars, but Believe in Your Dreams
As the saying goes, at least as it is with the law of the universe, ask and you shall receive. In other words if you don’t dream it, don’t expect to live it. I am a firm believer in shooting for the stars when it comes to dreams and aspirations, however you first have to believe within your deepest core that you are not only deserving of these lofty goals, but it is just a matter of time before they transpire. As the man who once floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee said; “It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

One Step at a Time
In order to mentally prepare yourself for your soon-to-be abundance, you first need a goal that is obtainable in a reasonable amount of time. If you make a long list, more than likely you won’t achieve everything you wrote down—at least not in one year. It’s not being pessimistic; it’s being realistic.

Make your goals as specific as possible; instead of saying you are going to be healthy and skinny, say that you are going to drink at least eight glasses of clean filtered water a day and replace at least one meal with a high-quality protein smoothie (without any added sugar). The more specific about your goals you are, the easier it is to see for your mind to accept.

State of Mind
The main thing you need is to think positively. Thinking positively is a factor that can make or break you. It can make you happy, excited, and determined. To keep yourself in a positive state of mind you need to learn not to get emotionally attached to negative circumstances that arise around you. For example, just because you’re stuck in a traffic jam on the way to an important appointment, doesn’t mean you have to create extra stress for yourself. Sometimes, it just is what it is, so let go of the negativity.

Positive Surroundings
You are going to encounter people every day, especially those you are close with. When you tell people your New Year’s Resolution you most likely hear “good luck with that,” in a sarcastic tone or other responses that are not so enthusiastic. Tune those people out; cover your ears and go “la-la-la-la-la.” You don’t need that in your life, so surround yourself with positive uplifting people– in other words people who make you feel good!

Turn Coal into Diamonds
According to the Mayo Clinic, turning negative self-talk into positive thinking is one of the best ways to keep you in a positive mood. Every time a negative thought pops into your head; turn it into a more optimistic point of view. Here is an example from the Mayo Clinic’s positive thinking chart1 to show you how it’s done:

Mayo Clinic’s positive thinking chart:

Read Blogs of People Who Achieved Their Dreams/Resolutions
Finding inspiration in other people’s successes is one of the best ways to get you mentally prepared. Blogging is one of the trendiest ways people share their experiences and inspire those around them. Read and gain some tips from these blogs. We live in a time when we can ask questions and receive answers on just about anything with the click of a mouse. You can also read positive quotes or listen to positive motivational speakers at home or while you are traveling.

Create Positive Patterns
Your brain is a virtual pattern recognition storage system that will default back to the path of least resistance. What this means is it is easy for us humans to make the same mistakes over and over again, if we don’t change our patterns. Don’t do the same things that keep getting you mediocre—at best—results. Don’t be afraid to try something different. What’s the worst that can happen? You might actually get it right for a change.

One simple example is with people who eat in front of their televisions at night. These people often can’t stop eating, as the television is a major distraction.

When these same people change the pattern up and eat at the kitchen table, making themselves fully present and taking time to chew and enjoy their food, they often eat a lot less. In today’s day and age it’s easy to become distracted from our goals, but by following some or all of my tips, you may surprise yourself and start a new trend of New Year’s resolutions that finally become realities.

Reference

1. Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress. Mayo Clinic. 2014, March 4.