Change - Setting yourself up for success

With a new year and a new decade, many are looking at ways to change their lives for the better. Maybe it is their health, finances or relationships. Whatever it is for each person, it is the time for resolutions. 

Resolving to improve your life, regardless of the time of year, should be applauded and supported. But let’s face it, change is not always easy. The saying “old habits die hard” is applicable for many, especially come February, March and beyond. 

One of the key aspects of making a change that is often overlooked is mindset. Mindset is the set of attitudes and thought processes of each person concerning the change to be made. In addition to making your goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound), your attitude and thoughts around the changes are critical. 

Sometimes getting help is important, hypnotherapy is one of my favourite therapies for mindset challenges and tweaking. Yet, one thing that can be looked at independent of professional help, is evaluating the language you use around the change.

One easy thing to try is finding a word to replace “resolution.” It seems social media is full of references to the short term if not joke worthy nature of new year's resolutions. May seem silly, but this take on resolutions can negatively impact your ability to make sustainable changes. This interpretation can make it okay to make excuses and stop trying – isn't everyone doing the same?

Instead, chose a word that is outside of the language twist and pick one that makes sense to you. My personal favourite is non-negotiables. These are those acts, behaviours, thought processes that are to be part of life, regardless of the situation, year and social media influence. The very act of saying or thinking the word implies the nature of the commitment and the action that must follow. 

Other aspects to consider are what support do you have to make the change, identify the hurdles to making the change now and more importantly the work-arounds and know your why. Identify why you are making the change, be specific and try to make them about you not about others. With this information, you are more likely to keep going, recover from setbacks and make consistent choices to get you closer to your goals.