After the current slew of holiday festivities is
over, it will be New Year?s resolution time once again.
Yet it can often seem like an empty exercise since
they are often abandoned in just a few weeks.
However there are a few secrets that may enable
you to keep those promises to your self.
Regular readers of the Creative Calm newsletter
and other similar publications already know the
importance of having a clear and emotionally
compelling image of your desired end-result,
preferably writing it down. Remember that you want
to clearly describe what you truly want, not what
you are trying to avoid, since the subconscious mind
cannot imagine a negative. For example, telling
yourself not to overeat forces the inner mind to think
about overeating and behavior follows what we focus
on. Better to imagine being completely satisfied with
moderate portions.
Also, although the motivation to change may
come from unhappiness with the status quo
(uncomfortable with physical condition, lack of
success, etc.) this away motivation
needs to be counterbalanced by towards
motivation (the clear and emotionally
compelling image of what you want to achieve).
Otherwise, if you only have away
motivation you will start to lose steam when you
have achieved partial success since the initial
discomfort has been relieved. There is yet another
component that might be overlooked-the belief that
the outcome you seek is worth whatever it is going
to cost you. Sounds simple enough, however you
shouldn?t underestimate it.
I once observed an amusing demonstration of
this idea during a lecture by Don Mottin, an
extraordinary hypnotist and trainer. Don asked for a
volunteer from the audience and had her hold her
arm out straight. He then proceeded to give her a
smack on the back of her hand.
?That didn?t feel too good, did it?? Don asked.
?No it didn?t? she replied.
?Sorry about that, here?s $20 for your trouble, now
did it seem worth volunteering??
The smile on her face as she returned to her seat
with a crisp new $20 bill said it all. Now if you make a
realistic assessment of your own resolution, chances
are it is going to ?cost? something. This may take the
form of extra time and effort, confronting fear or
discomfort, letting go of familiar habits, etc. If you
encourage the perception and belief that it is worth
it though, you will keep going. Some other resolution
pointers.
- Tell yourself you are not going to give up. It is
amazing how much stronger we become when
the ?exit is blocked,? so to speak.
- Use the switch-word mantra of ADJUST
when the going gets tough. It reminds us that we do
have the ability to adjust to all sorts of
circumstances. (Visit the sponsor link at the left to
learn more about the switch-words technique)
- Imagine yourself 20 feet tall in relationship to the
problem or challenge. Our inner metaphors are often
quite revealing and failure is often equated with the
perception of feeling ?two feet tall.?
In summary, tell yourself that the resolution is
worth it, that you are not going to give up, that you
are going to ADJUST beautifully and feel 20
feet tall in the process!
