So what are your plans for 2012? Have you made any New Year’s resolutions, or set some goals that inspire you?
The New Year causes most of us to pause and contemplate just for a moment the reality that another year has arrived. We are all older, hopefully wiser, and wondering where all the time went. 2012! Who can believe it’s here already? And more importantly, what do we do about it?
Most of us think about the New Year for mere moments on and off. We are not very committed to change. In fact, of those who make New Year’s resolutions, 25% have forgotten them in the first week, and 36% have given them up in the first month. Those numbers continue to drop as the year gets rolling. Overall, most of us just are not very good at motivating ourselves. Time to fix that!
3 Steps That Will Deliver Results:
1). Become More Confident
It’s time to believe in yourself a little more this year. You might be surprised what a difference that can make. Confidence gives you a feeling of certainty about what you can do, or who you can be. Let’s find out how YOU feel about yourself because you are the only one that matters in self confidence. Rate your self confidence on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being total, unstoppable self confidence. Now, be totally honest. How high is your self confidence…1-10? ____
Do you believe in yourself enough? If you are completely honest does your confidence hold you back from something in your life?
There are many ways to boost your confidence. Here are a few easy things to do:
a). Like yourself more– How well we like ourselves directly affects our confidence.
b). Take some risks– Even relatively small risks can increase confidence.
c). Remember courage– Courage always comes before confidence.
By doing those 3 things, you are accepting that you are responsible for your self confidence. This is an incredible gift to give yourself because it contains the seeds of the power to change your life.
2). Experience More of Life
This is easy to commit to… right? Make a goal or resolution to simply experience more good things in life. This will help you to feel more alive. You might adopt this daily thought…What can I do today to experience more of life?
Here are some easy ways:
Try a new ethnic restaurant that you normally would never try. Wear something totally different than normal for you. Bring fresh flowers home every week. Destroy all of your routines that don’t make you feel alive. Implement new ones that feel great. Read some inspirational stories or books. Adopt a new hobby. Get to the gym, ski slopes, beach (yes even in the winter), city, country, islands, etc. Create and cultivate some new friendships. Go to plays, concerts, movies, and shows. Get off of your electronic devices and get out and do something new. Have some fun and adventure and leave the devices off.
Explore who you are and who you are meant to be. Contribute beyond yourself. The choices are unlimited. Life beckons, and all you have to do is to decide to answer.
Put this on your bathroom mirror…”Experience More Life Today!” Make it a mission to find only positive ways to experience more of the good things in life.
3. Make Gratitude a Routine
Maybe you have heard all about gratitude before, or so you might think. And you remember to be grateful, what’s the big deal? Here’s what you need to know. Gratitude is the fastest way to happiness. Create a routine before you go to sleep at night to go through a 3-5 minute list of everything you are grateful for. Even things you could be grateful for. Little things, big things, it doesn’t matter. Be grateful for it all.
However, as you go through this list, you must FEEL grateful. Feeling is the key. You must feel good as you do this, because if you are not feeling good you are not being grateful. If it’s hard to think about being grateful when things are tough try this:
Imagine that you are totally grateful for what you have in your life. Even grateful for the possibility of what you could have in your life. You can imagine anything. If I asked you to imagine the taste of a lemon, or the smell of a rose, or the feeling of fear, you could do them all easily. You can also experience gratitude just by imagining it. Make it part of your feeling experience before you go to sleep. You will begin to notice the difference it can make in your life.
Here’s a Quick Review:
- Become more confident. Like yourself more, take some small risks, and remember to have courage. Self confident people are happier and more successful.
- Experience more of life. Experience more variety in your life. There are countless easy ways. As you do, you might find that you become more curious, more joyful, more playful, more adventurous, more determined, more loving, and more giving.
- Make gratitude a routine. You will become happier. When you are happy, you open the door to become more receptive to all the good things in life. Is there some limit on how much happiness a person is allowed to have in their life? No! Maybe it’s time to stretch your own limitations on how much happiness that you are allowing in.
The New Year is here! You can’t escape it. Are there some changes that you want to make in your life? Looking back, how will 2012 define you?
No matter what goals or resolutions you have for the New Year, there is plenty of room for more confidence, more life experiences, and more gratitude.
How do you get started? You simply make a decision to go for it and then you resolve that it’s done no matter what. Then you DO more confidence, more life, more gratitude every day, because it is part of who you are and what you do. And you revel in the amazing life experiences you create and the ones that find you. Now it’s time to go create your best year ever. Happy New Year!
Jeff Forte CSIC CME is a Life Coach with Certifications in Strategic Intervention and Marriage Education. He sees clients in his Glastonbury CT office and can be reached at (860)633-8555. www.peakresultscoaching.com