Progress check: New Year's Resolutions 2019

 Learning and building wisdom - you are doing this continuously - simply by living your life. Through each experience you become more aware of what you want, what works for you, and the many different ways you have already been successful in the things that you do. In this way, you can see yourself from two perspectives; your present-self and your-future self.

When it comes to sustaining New Year’s resolutions, use the power of your "selfs" to keep going. Your present-self brings knowledge, ideas, and strategies into the goal setting process and your future-self brings energy, vision, motivation, and optimism to the process of achieving those goals.

 Too often we stumble, lose steam, and want to stop working on our resolution. We tell ourselves, we can't do it or use black and white thinking to rationalize quitting (ex: “Well, I just ate that doughnut - I might as well go ahead and eat whatever I want now.").

If you are finding yourself in or headed into the resolution doldrums, take a quick time out. Slow down a moment and recruit your two "selfs". Use your future-self to review why you have that goal. What will change in your life when you achieve it? How things will change along the way towards it? Can you see/envision it? What will it look like? Is it still something you want for yourself?

Now, ask your present-self to provide advice. If that goal is still important to you, take a moment to review the structure of that goal. Is it realistic? Is it too big (is it really a bigger vision that represents the culmination of many assorted goals)? Is it the most important thing for you to work on right now? Is the goal for you or for someone else (and why)? With the new experience and knowledge you've acquired since originally making your resolution, decide if you need to keep it, tweak it (scale up , scale down, refine, etc.), change it (adjust timeline, outcome, purpose, add or improve support resources to maintain resolve, etc.), or replace it (with one that is more meaningful to you, truly for yourself, clear, specific, realistic, important, measurable, etc.).

Having done that, you should have a pretty clear idea as to whether you are still happy with the resolutions you've set or you have adjusted them into new, more informed versions. Now it's time to let your future-self inspire you to keep going and allow your present-self permission to have ups and downs along the way. Use your inner wisdom and creativity to establish your own 'best practices' for staying on track. 

For more tips about keeping resolutions, take a look at this very brief article in January's edition of Living in North Georgia Home magazine. And as always, remember, a Health Coach can help you to reaffirm or revise your goals. Health Coaching is a proven and effective way to improve your success with making changes - from small ones to total lifestyle overhauls. If you feel you have the right goals and are giving it your best shot but are losing your desire to continue - don't quit, call me!