A New Perspective for a New Year!

Happy New Year! Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

How many people have you made that wish to? Did you include yourself on the list?

Many think of a new year as a new beginning. A clean slate on which we can craft a new plan … an opportunity to embrace new habits and let of go old ones. It is a popular time for setting goals and resolutions, yet many of us set ourselves up, only to be disappointed months later after the gifts are unwrapped, the tree is gone, and our lives collide with the reality of a new year with new challenges.

Reaching goals and resolutions does not always require extreme behavior changes. We can often make huge strides quickly simply by clarifying what we really want and investing energy in that direction. Simply thinking about making changes represents awareness, which is a step in the right direction. We can make dramatic shifts in our lives without actually doing anything different. Simply adopting a new perspective can have a huge impact on how we perceive and experience our lives.

Start small!

Every journey begins with a single step.

Taking baby steps moves us closer to our goals and creates motivation and cause for celebration.

If you resolve to get more organized, start with one drawer or file one piece of paperwork. If becoming more healthy or losing weight is your goal, choose water instead of soda once a day, or park in the farthest parking spot instead of the one closest to the door. Post a picture of yourself (or someone else) the size you want to be on the refrigerator and take a look at it each time you open the door. Stock your pantry with healthy snacks you look forward to eating. Want to quit smoking? Start by simply counting your current intake and delay your next cigarette by 15 minutes. Visualize yourself as a nonsmoker and imagine what you will do with all the money you save. Collect it in a jar and watch as it adds up quickly!

Once you get started, the law of inertia kicks in and you will be pleasantly surprised just how quickly you progress toward your goal. Letting go of old habits is easiest done by adopting new ones. When we do both, we double our progress.

Put it in writing!

A goal without a deadline is only a dream.

Decide what you want to do by when and write it down. Putting your goals in writing dramatically increases the likelihood they will come to fruition. A written commitment provides a permanent record of what is important to you at a particular point in time. Of course you can revise your plan as necessary, but putting it in writing makes us more aware and accountable. Tell other people about your goals. Loved ones who are aware of your goals are likely to recognize, encourage, and support your efforts.

Adopt a new perspective!

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t: you are right!

It is not uncommon to get stuck in our own mind. We get on “auto pilot” and don’t even realize the inaccurate and potentially destructive impact of our perceptions.

While it is human nature to focus on what is wrong, what we focus on expands! We get more of what we are looking for, negative expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies. Train your brain to notice what is going right in your life. Embrace an attitude of gratitude for your many blessings and realize things can always be worse!

A happy new year takes more than just a wish … it is the result of conscious planning and execution. Yet even the best laid plans can go awry. There will always be situations and circumstances beyond our control. But the most significant contributing factor to your success is your attitude, and that is one of few things in life that is completely in your control, every minute of every day. Sometimes simply adopting a new perspective on an old situation can bring new energy and new avenues for improvement.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!