Personal Development

January 2005 - Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Resolutions

Dear Reader,

Well, the holidays have passed. Some of us may feel relieved, and some may feel sad. However you feel, the New Year is always something to be excited about. It's a time to start fresh and put the previous year behind us. This issue is dedicated to helping you achieve whatever changes you would like to make in 2005. What didn't work so well for you in 2004? What goals do you want to set to create a happier and more balanced life in 2005?

In January, I will be doing a fun and interactive 2 hour workshop titled "Your Energizer Bunny® - Don't Let the Batteries Die! - Eliminate and Replace the Energy Drainers in your Life". In this workshop, I will address such things as clutter, negativity in relationships, and unresolved feelings within us. All these things zap our physical and emotional energy. You will also learn creative ways to refuel your energy. If you are interested, please register in advance by calling (630) 236-7142.

Smell the Coffee and the Cookies too! is a newsletter designed to help you integrate and improve all facets of your life. Before we can be great moms, we have to be the very best we can be to ourselves. My goal with this newsletter is to support moms by sharing ideas based on my expertise and my 20 year long journey of personal growth. The success of this newsletter depends on you and what you want to hear, so please share with me topics you would like to see covered in future issues. My e-mail address is lori.radun@sbcglobal.net and my phone number is (630) 236-7142. I look forward to hearing from you.

If there is interest for 2005, I thought about adding an "Ask the Coach" section to this newsletter. Every month, I would feature one reader's question (or more if this is popular) with my response, of course. I would like to be able to share challenges and ideas to overcome them with other moms. After all, we are all on this journey together. So please forward any question or challenge you may be having as a mom to me. I will respond to all questions, and feature one or two next month.

If you know of others who may wish to receive this e-newsletter, please direct them to our website at www.true2youlifecoaching.com, where they can subscribe, or feel free to forward the e-newsletter to them.

Have a Wonderful New Year and Be Safe!

Lori

Quote of the Month:

I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a good deal about their acts.

--Og Mandino

T top 10 ways to keep your new year's resolutions

It has been said that 60-80% of New Year’s resolutions will be broken within the first two weeks. Personally, I am not a huge advocate of New Year’s resolutions because I believe in setting and achieving personal goals all year around. However, I do respect the fact that New Year’s resolutions are very popular, and I understand that the New Year is a very logical time to start fresh. That being said, I wanted to share with you the top ten ways to increase the likelihood for success with your New Year’s resolutions.

1. Stick to 1 or 2 important goals.

Having a laundry list of all the things you would like to change in your life can be overwhelming. Your chances for success are much higher if you stick to 1 or 2 of your most important goals. This allows you to concentrate all your energy and focus on these goals. Once you achieve those goals, you can always set 1 or 2 more.

2. Be realistic.

It’s okay to think big and want the best, but it is more important to succeed, so be realistic. Ask yourself whether or not your goals are reasonable and possible. It is probably not realistic to set the goal of never yelling at your kids again. How will you feel about your resolution when your children test you on a very bad day and you yell? Certainly one can cut back on yelling and work to find alternative ways to deal with misbehavior, but an all or nothing attitude may set you up for failure, and feeling like you’ve failed can set you up for more failure. Instead, accept and honor your humanness.

3. Be specific.

Be as specific as possible when determining goals. Articulate how you will measure success and exactly what you are trying to achieve. Making a resolution to lose weight is too general. A better choice would be to set a specific and manageable goal. For example say, "I will lose 25 pounds by June 30, 2005." Be specific when answering the what, when and how.

4. Connect to your motivation for achieving your goal.

Why do you want to achieve this goal? Why now? Make sure your motivation comes from your heart, and not from your head. In other words, your goal should be something you really desire, and not something you know you SHOULD do. Really connect to why this is so important to you. Pay attention to whether or not you are being driven by fear or love. Beware of setting goals based on what someone else in your life thinks you should do. Your resolutions should come from your authentic self.

5. Examine your belief in your ability to achieve this goal.

What do you believe about your ability to achieve your New Year’s resolutions? If you have tried to reach the same goal many times before without much success, your confidence could be wavering. You could be feeding yourself negative messages without even realizing it. Be conscious about positive thinking. Remind yourself that you are capable of doing anything you set your heart to. Tell yourself every day that you have the ability to take the steps it will take to reach your goal.

6. Create a detailed plan to achieve your goal.

Let’s say your resolution is to eliminate the clutter in your home. But how will you start when the clutter is overwhelming? It may be helpful to break large goals into intermediate, manageable steps. Make a list of each area you need to tackle. Then break each area into even smaller segments that can be tackled easily. For instance, set time aside to clean out old clothes, then to organize sweaters, then to throw out old shoes, and finally arrange clothing by color or type. Don't forget to specify a time limit for accomplishing each of the smaller steps. Before you know it, the larger goal will have been met.

7. Recognize that you may encounter obstacles.

Most people give up on their goals because they run into some type of obstacle along the way. Obstacles can be internal or external. Examples of internal obstacles include negative self-talk, limiting beliefs and discipline issues. Some external obstacles are the lack of time, money or resources. Know in advance what hurdles you may have to conquer.

8. Identify a plan of action to overcome obstacles.

If you are trying to give up chocolate (I would never try this!), what are you going to do when you get a craving for chocolate, or when all your friends are chowing down on chocolate cake? Maybe your plan would be to carry a sweet substitute with you at all times. Or perhaps you could involve yourself in a fun activity when the urge strikes. If your obstacles are tougher and you need more support, consider hiring a life coach to help you work through your blocks.

9. Enlist the support of an accountability partner.

As you work towards your goals, it can be very helpful to have someone in your life to be your support partner. Consider asking your partner or friend to help you stick to the resolutions you have set. Use this person when you are struggling and set up a plan to check in regularly with him/her. As a coach, I have the privilege of trading coaching services with my peers. My coach helps me achieve my goals, overcome any obstacles, and celebrate my success.

10. Celebrate success along the way.

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is celebrate your small successes as you work towards your larger goals. Don’t wait until the end to reward yourself. You deserve to be recognized for your efforts and your commitment, especially when your goals take a long time to achieve. If you don’t celebrate on your journey, you will lose your motivation. So celebrate, celebrate, and celebrate!

I wish you the best in achieving your 2005 New Year’s resolutions. If you fall off your path, remember you can always get back on. It’s okay to take a few detours. No one said there can’t be St. Patrick’s Day resolutions, Easter resolutions, or even Independence Day resolutions.

Take Action Assignment

Pick 2 New Year's Resolutions for 2005.....

Be specific and write out your action plan for achieving your resolutions. Think about what struggles you might encounter and be prepared to address those. Tell someone you trust about your New Year's Resolutions so you can receive support along the way.

As a motivational reminder of your resolutions, use your creativity and make a sign or collage of your 2005 goals for your refrigerator.

Fun Corner
Moms, make January 2005 a month to replenish and nurture YOUR soul!

Pick 2 days or evenings in the month of January to do something you have always wanted to do (without the children). Whatever you choose, make sure it is something special and memorable. Here are a few ideas...

• Get a professional massage
• Go to a weekend retreat
• Take up a new hobby
• Send the husband and children away and putz around the house doing what YOU want to do.
• Spend a 1/2 day in bed reading a good book

Resources

Hearts at Home 2005 Planner

http://www.hearts-at-home.org

A Year of Living Consciously - 365 Daily Inspirations for Creating a Life of Passion and Purpose

By Gay Hendricks, Ph.D.

http://www.amazon.com

Find out more...

If you would like to find out more about life coaching, please visit my website at www.true2youlifecoaching.com. Be sure to participate in my market survey for a chance to win a: $75 Salon/Spa Gift Certificate

I offer a FREE 45 minute telephone coaching session so you can experience the power of coaching for yourself. Please contact me at (630) 236-7142 to set up an appointment.

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