Friday 9 January 2009

Why People Generally Fail at Keeping New Year's Resolutions and How You Can Succeed?

Already, folk who set New Year's Resolution's may be finding themselves lagging behind their intentions. It's frustrating but it's a reality that the majority of people who set goals at the start of a New Year will not materialise their goals.

The reason for this is very simple and if you fall into this category reflect upon the following. The year may have changed but have you?

You see we set goals with our conscious mind and so goal setting is a relatively easy process. However, in order to achieve our goals we have to carry out certain actions. Our actions or behaviour are governed mainly by our sub-conscious mind which generally likes things to stay just as they are.

Therefore, your sub-conscious mind is not going to be supportive of your trying to change things - even for what you consciously perceive to be better. You may therefore find your best efforts to achieve your goals are sabotaged.

To be successful at achieving your goals you have to work on changing your mindset. You have to re-program your sub-conscious mind.

Expressed another way, when you set goals your intention is to change your outer environment but you cannot change your outer environment without changing your inner environment.

So how do you go about re-programming your sub-conscious mind?

Create your personal success ritual and practice it diligently and consistently. Now, there will be days when you don't accomplish everything you set out to achieve. However, be forgiving and yet persistent and eventually you will start to notice shifts. Furthermore, one day you'll find that your personal success ritual has become just that - something which you habitually and almost effortlessly carry out.

There are three main areas regarding creating your personal success ritual.

1. Nurture Your body

If you were about to set off on a long journey in your car you would make sure that your car was in tip-top condition and that it had plenty of gas. The process of goal achieving is very much like setting out on a long journey.

However, often in the movies the vehicle that ends the journey is a far cry from the vehicle that started the journey. Usually, at the end of a movie the vehicle is only fit for the scrap heap - if that.

In contrast, ideally you want to end your journey in great physical condition because while achieving your goal may mark the end of one journey it also marks the start of another. Hence, ensure that you eat healthily, drink plenty of fresh water, and that you exercise regularly as well as get adequate rest.

2. Nurture Your Spirit

Make time to clear your mind and spend time in quiet reflection and or meditation. Bob Proctor said that "Mental activity does not constitute thinking."

People's minds are often active but the same old, non-productive thoughts are going round and round. When you calm your mind you can see things much more clearly and this can dramatically accelerate your progress towards your goals.

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."
James Allen, author of "As a Man Thinketh"

Meditation has numerous benefits, one of which it helps you to focus and sharp focus will be vitally important as you strive to achieve your goals.

3. Nurture Your Mind

You can achieve this by saying positive affirmations and by reading, listening and watching empowering personal development material. Enlist the support of a mentor or coach to help keep you focused and motivated.

Eliminate excessive negative media from your life. Unless, you completely isolate yourself it's virtually impossible to escape negative media altogether. However, you don't have to immerse yourself in it as some people do and then wonder why they feel so depressed.

To help target your sub-conscious mind - the level at which change must occur for you to see positive changes in your results us tools such as vision boards and Mind Movies. These tools will encourage you to feel motivated towards achieving your goals as among other things they will help you to feel a deeper emotional attachment to what you're aiming to achieve and, as Earl Nightingale said:

"The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfilment."
Earl Nightingale

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