New Years Resolutions: 10 Ways to Stay Committed to Your Declarations and Transform Your Life
res·o·lu·tion /ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun: a firm decision to do or not to do something.
On New Years Eve every year my partner Perla and I make a list of:
- Everything we are committed to letting go of from the past
- Everything we are committed to creating
Only about 8% of people accomplish their New Years Resolutions, so as an Executive Coach who supports people with performance, results, meditation and mindset, here are some tools that I highly recommend to make a powerful start of 2019 and transform your life.
1. Get Clear About Your Intention: If you are not really in touch with your “WHY” there will be little hope of success in my experience. Try SMART goals. Make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Write about each one and why it is important to you. Visualize yourself living these new habits and activities and allow yourself to feel how great it will feel when this comes to pass
2. Create Support and Accountability: This can be done in a variety of ways. Personal coaches, group classes, and action buddies are a great way to create what you commit to. Create a Whatsapp or Facebook group with people who also want to create accountability and support.
Share with your friends and family and ask them to ask you how it is going from time to time. Really enroll them in taking you on about it. You can also hire a virtual assistant to schedule and remind you for relatively low costs.
3. Let Go of Shame. Don’t take the bait when that voice in your head tells you that you failed, you are going to fail ,that you aren’t good enough. I recommend reading Brene Brown’s Rising Strong, which is all about shame resilience and getting back up.
Be gentle with yourself. “Easy does it, but do it”, wins the day and the race. Also remember that indulging in the feelings of shame only reinforces the negative association with whatever you are trying to achieve in your brain, therefore reinforcing the resistance. You can start over any time you want and give yourself a new beginning…even 20 times a day.
4. Release expectations. I have found that a marathon mindset is everything. If you fall, get back up. Expectations are a premeditated resentment so let them go of others and yourself. Be clear about the destination but flexible with how fast you get there (also, there is no finish line, so give yourself a break).
5. Get a Whiteboard. Many people rely on digital calendars, which are great, but I also suggest a whiteboard to see things in the 3rd Dimension. Make it visible so you can be in touch with it every day. It will have a different effect on your brain. I like to set it up like this because I can schedule things at specific times, including my self care, creative or other commitments. If you have a partner or roommate who you have enrolled to support you it can create more accountability as well.
6. Cheat Days. If you are trying to give something up like sugar or fried food, try allowing yourself a cheat day. If it’s alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc try a 12 step meeting. When the thought or craving comes up I like to tell myself “I don’t eat that anymore.”
7. Affirmations. The disempowering voices and beliefs are perhaps the greatest impediment to progress. If you notice that this is on repeat in any area of your life, work on developing specific affirmations that address these. Try to recite them in the “I Am” present tense. For example“ I Am powerful” , “I Am committed”, “ I Am worthy of success/happiness/love”, “ I Am getting better every day”, etc.
The more conviction you recite the affirmations with the more effective they will be. Try to set the intention that this becomes a daily practice for best results. Limiting beliefs are not transformed so easily in the subconscious.
8. Generosity. If you are struggling, focus out on the needs of others. Sign up to volunteer somewhere. It is counter intuitive, but service releases dopamine in the brain. Call a friend and create 10 minutes to ask them about their day and give them an ear to listen to. It is a powerful hack to break up resistance. Do this without an agenda, giving unsolicited advice or trying to fix the other person. Ask open ended questions like “how is that affecting you?” or “is there anything I can do so support you with that?.”
As an offering of generosity feel free to contact me to set up a free vision consultation (value $100) to support you in getting clear about your goals for 2019*. Here’s a some testimonials to get you in touch with the value of this gift and a podcast I was on a couple months ago.
9. Gratitude. Focus on gratitude. Make a list of what you are grateful for everyday. Appreciate every moment you can. Come back to the present. This is a powerful way to create abundance in all it’s forms
10. Meditate. If you only were to add one thing to your New Years Resolution and this was it, you will be guaranteed to change your life. I very highly recommend this Himalayan meditation technique over apps, but ultimately whatever gets you there in the end to a daily practice.
Start out with 3–5 minutes as your goal. Anyone can sit for 3 minutes. Don’t worry about the quality of the meditation only that it is every day. This is important. If you miss a day, get right back on it. Also refer back to #2 accountability and support, group classes, personal coaches.
Hope this supports you! Wishing you peace, love, connection and abundance in 2019.
To schedule free consultation email my assistant Melinda at: tazjaxsen@yahoo.com
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Jay Ponti is a Meditation and Executive Coach. He is a Certified Teacher of Kriya Yoga under Himalayan Master Yogiraj Siddhanath and has over 10 years of experience studying under some of the most noteworthy meditation masters, mentors, and changemakers.