"You can forget about
making New Year's Resolutions if you're hoping for a successful outcome. Most
aren't worth the paper they're written on", says Vic Johnson, a leading goal
setting and motivation expert.
Most New Year's Resolutions have gone by the wayside before January is over
and most won't even be remembered six months later. And the reason is pretty
simple. Most are made in response to something negative; a habit or situation
that the person wants to change or end. And therein lies the problem - it's
hard to develop momentum from a negative response. It is always easier to move
toward something than away from something.
Consider one of the most adopted goals - weight loss. No one can get excited
about losing weight - it requires deprivation. It's a negative response to
concerns about appearance, health, etc. The results of weight loss New Year's
Resolutions demonstrate their weakness. A 1998 survey sponsored by
Gardenburger found that more than three-fourths of all women between the ages
of 25 and 54 make diet and weight-loss plans each year. Nearly nine of 10
respondents reported only occasional or no success, while almost half lost
little or actually gained weight instead.
"The people who succeed at losing weight and maintaining the loss have usually
been motivated by a dream much bigger and more positive than just losing
weight," explains Johnson. "They see themselves living a healthy lifestyle.
They begin to act and think like people who are in good physical shape. There's more of a radical change in a person's thinking and actions than you
see with most resolutions. It wouldn't be possible to effect and sustain such
a radical change unless the person is motivated by a big dream that is
positive in nature."
Another popular aim is to quit smoking. Johnson himself was a three-pack-a-day
smoker until he celebrated a smoke-free New Year's twelve years ago. "For over
twenty years I had tried to quit many times using every tool and technique I'd
hear about. But as long as I was trying to quit, I couldn't break the grip.
Instead, I developed a dream to become a non-smoker. I fell in love with the
idea of breathing clean air instead of smoky air, of my body and clothes
smelling nice instead of smoky. I thought about how wonderful it would be to
taste food again. I decided to start acting and thinking like a non-smoker,
and when the thinking took hold I simply quit smoking. In all the years since,
I've never wanted another cigarette, never even thought about wanting one."
According to Johnson, the best goal to set is one that calls for the
individual to create a plan for their life based on a set of personal dreams.
"Most people are in a free-fall through life, careening from one crisis to the
next. If you were going to build a new house and you had this idea for a
fabulous master bedroom suite, you wouldn't rush out and start building the
master bedroom. You'd have a complete plan before you started. When you
approach resolutions and goals in the same manner, you end up with a much
better chance of achieving success."
(c) 2004-2006 Vic Johnson
Create a Life on Purpose
Click
Here - Make This Your Year of Success
What will you do THIS YEAR
to put yourself in a position to make more money?
What will you do in THIS YEAR to develop better relationships with those who are
important to you?
What will you do in THIS YEAR to live the life you've been dreaming about?
According to Purdue University, and most experts, it's not only important to
have written goals, but you must have a plan to reach your goals. Goals is the complete program to help you "create a life on purpose."
Will THIS YEAR be just another ho-hum year that started with good intentions? Or
will it be YOUR Year! Your year to get your weight under control...start that
business you've been talking about...get out of debt for good.
Are you tired of being stuck in the same gear? Go see why one program
graduate, Dennis Rudinsky of Australia said, "I finally learned to set goals.
And not only did I learn how, I also learned why."
You'll love the early bird bonuses by the legendary Earl Nightingale, Bob
Proctor, Zig Ziglar and others. As the famous TV commercial says, "Priceless!"
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