As a coach and a self-improvement junkie, January is a time I enjoy because there is so much attention and awareness around positive change. It is a new year and a fresh start. If you’re taking on diet or exercise with new ferocity, you are certainly not alone, and that feels great.
Just like the rest of you, I am establishing new business goals and committing to healthy patterns for 2011. Today I remind myself on the fundamentals. See if these help you focus as we begin this 3rd week of 2011.
10 Tips for Making Strong, Positive and Lasting Change
1. Clearly know the REASONS why you are choosing this change. What are the pleasant things that result in your life if you accomplish this goal?
2. Don’t go it alone. Join groups working on similar goals (like Weight Watcher’s, a fitness class, or a business mastermind group).
3. Seek help from coaches or other experts who’ve been successful at what you want to do. You’ll save time, avoid set-backs and be more confident venturing into new territory.
4. Be accountable – share your goals with someone and offer to support them with their goals too. Touch base regularly for consistent support, encouragement and celebration.
5. Pay attention to details. Sometimes just one small adjustment brings the greatest results. For example, switching to a new alkaline drinking water system instead of drinking regular filtered water really helped my digestion and supported losing inches from my waistline last year. It was such a nice surprise and so easy!
6. Be open to new resources, ideas, products and services. If I had been closed minded, I might have missed the amazing self-healing power of EFT meridian tapping and never gotten into the amazing work I do now. I also might have dismissed the benefits of alkaline water and making YouTube videos. There are so many resources online, especially through social media. Are you engaging in this yet? Maybe it’s about time? You too could be just one resource from an amazing breakthrough.
7. Keep grounded. That means keeping in the present moment, fully connected to your body and the earth you stand on. It also means being practical, aware and connected to the natural world. Don’t get swept away by the flurry of electronics and other stuff trying to distract you from what is really important to your purpose.
8. Be patient and forgive yourself for set-backs. It takes 3 weeks or more for a new habit to become fully established. Those first weeks are the toughest because you are working on something that is not yet natural and you don’t have much to show for it. It is easy to mess up and need to get back on track. Be gentle on yourself during this time of adjustment. Suddenly there will be a day when you and others really notice what you’ve been working on. People will offer compliments, your clothing will be more comfortable, your bank statement will be filling with deposits or your new client inquiries will be up substantially. It doesn’t happen overnight. Have faith that what you desire is coming, your efforts are making a difference and be peaceful in the meantime.
9. Keep track of your progress. Whether it means by measuring tape, bathroom scale, net revenues, daily food tracker or number of website hits, keeping track helps you see your results over time and also allows fine-tuning along the way. By simply focusing attention on something, you help propel the results you desire. Energy flows where attention (and intention) goes.
10. Celebrate! Plan stops along the way to acknowledge your journey of good fortune. Find ways to reward yourself for your accomplishments. Make sure they are healthy, really fun and also keep you moving even further. Pause to really appreciate what you have created and enjoy that feeling. A few great ways to appreciate yourself might include purchasing a Galvanic Spa for weekly natural face-lift treatments, scheduling a massage, taking a class, going out to dinner, scheduling a getaway with your spouse or buying a great new outfit to upgrade your image. Find something that fills your heart with joy and JUST DO IT.
