How To Make A New Years Resolution That Will Give You Results!

I have received several inquires pertaining to making "good" resolutions and dreaming big enough to even have something to look forward to.

So in response to that I have compiled a list of questions I'm asking myself this year and tips on how to create a "stickable" resolution.

Now this is not a passive process. This takes ACTION which is why it's posted on a Take Action Tuesday! You will be amazed and dazzled by the results if you simply take some time out of your day to make Real plans to Create your Perfect Life. I can help you Live the Life You Love, just keep reading.

Close your eyes and really dig deep for the answer to each one of these questions. After you've answered them in your heart, write down the answer.

In reviewing the past year (2011):

What are you most proud of?

(remember: close your eyes breath deep and search for the answer, write down what you come up with for every single question)


When were you most excited about life this past year? Where were you? Who were you with? What other details can you add to paint a vivid picture?


What dream did you achieve or realize (no matter how big or seemingly small)?


What would you have done differently?


In what area of your life did you allow FEAR to get in the way of you achieving your goals?


How does that make you feel?

What will you do differently to insure FEAR doesn't get in the way this NEXT year?

Now it's time to make your 2012 Resolutions!!!


Things to keep in mind when making your resolutions:

1) Choose a Resolution Worth the Sacrifice- You're changing a habit, the way you think, maybe the way you eat, the way you spent your time etc. It's not easy to change, so make sure that your resolution is in an area you REALLY want to see results in. If not, you'll abandon it before the end of January and never look back!

2) Be Specific-

(and I can show you how! Email me at BeautifulWorldWonderfulPeople@Gmail.com for a more in depth Resolution Step By Step Worksheet)

Making your goals as measurable as possible is a plus, but if that is not possible at least whittle your goals down to very specific steps you can take. All big goals can be broken up into smaller goals. The point is you must realize that general resolutions don't speak to the real task at hand. Ex. "I want to get healthy in 2012" Well that requires a new meal plan, workout plan, timeline etc. You get the point.

3) Put Pen To Paper- Maybe I'm just old school but I like to WRITE THINGS DOWN! Also, the movement of forming each letter as you physically right the words, incorporating your eyesight to see the ideas form on the page and thinking about what you are writing, a transformation happens in your mind and really cements your the intentions you are writing down into your brain. Some call it Neurological Programming, I just call it Guaranteed to bring your dreams to you that much faster!

4)Make a feasible plan you can live with- Sure you can dream big and shoot for that stars, but it will only be a blow to your self esteem if you can't keep up the pace. The better idea is to take small achievable steps to your smaller goals to be sure to reach the big goal you've set out to achieve this year. (remember if you obtain your goal faster than Dec 2012 you can always dream another bigger, better and bolder dream!)

5) Prioritize- Make sure to put your new Resolution on the top of your list. Remember this quote: "The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results" (Einstein) Therefore, if you love a cigarette at night, or love sleeping in instead of jogging, but you clearly stated you want to quit smoking or you want to start working out in the mornings....guess what? You are going to have to put your resolution OVER your comfort zone and comfortable habits. Going back to Tip #1, it's important you pick a resolution that is worth it to you because it needs to become a priority in your everyday life from this point forward! (p.s. if that sounds too heavy for you, go back to tip #1 and pick a resolution that IS worth it to you.)

6) Stay Focused and Flexible - Yes, keep you nose to the grind stone, as they say. Stay on track and keep that map in front of you at all times telling you where to go. However, please know that challenges will come, obstacles will arise and detours will obstruct your path. Instead of falling apart, plan for them, remain flexible and get back on course as soon as possible.

6b) To piggy back off of Tip #6: If you get off track for a day, week, month or many months, don't let it throw you off for the rest of the year! Whenever you realize you have veered to far left or right, get back on your path by revisiting your list, timelines and your smaller achievable goals. You'll be back in the swing of things in no time!

Other Fun Tips & Ideas To Consider:
Get a partner in crime - surely someone in your circle of family, friends or even associates have some similar desires to you. If you can find someone on the same page as you, travel the road together and it can be a lot more fun that way.

Get a Mentor or a Coach - (to inquire about my coaching services, email me at BeautifulWorldWonderfulPeople@Gmail.Com) Either find someone who has already achieved that goal you're setting out to conquer or find someone trained in how to support people to excellence. Having someone hold you accountable can work wonders you can't even imagine!

Make a Vision Board - I swear by the magic of these things! Don't forget, Dream BIG!

Engage in Positive Reinforcement- As you break your Big Goal into smaller achievable steps, also incorporate a reward system every time you achieve one of the smaller goals. Just be sure it's not something that will derail your progress i.e. cupcakes for working out everyday for a month.

I would Love Love LOVE! To hear your resolutions and how they are coming, so email me your resolutions or post them here in the comments! Remember we're a community here and we can support one another to make 2012 our best year yet!

New Year, New You: 2012 Edition

Is it that time already! It feels like just yesterday I was writing this , I barely even realized December is here and that means the year is coming to an end once again.

I started thinking to myself, “Uh-oh I need a New Years Resolution”, and then in that same moment I thought “wait, do people even have resolutions anymore or is that so 80’s?” Haha. The point is, people after a couple of years of forgetting ALL about their resolutions by February stop making them year after year. I get that, but as a person who is always trying to evolve and grow (and shouldn’t we all?), I love a good excuse to make some positive declarations and changes. It’s also a great way to celebrate what you HAVE accomplished in the past year. Maybe you didn’t go to the gym five times a week like you were so gung ho to do January 1^st, but you certainly made some strides in other areas that you maybe didn’t even realize. It would be a great idea to reflect on those accomplishments this month and reward yourself, even if it’s a simple mental pat on the bag. Acknowledge yourself; it’s the best way to ensure more success in the future.

I haven’t prayed and meditated completely on what my official New Year’s Resolutions are going to be but one thing came up for me just as a casual thought about it and kind of took my by surprise. When I asked myself (and God) what do I need to work on this next coming year, I heard:

Be seen.

What? What does that even mean? But then I realized, it’s so relevant. This may sound strange to some, but I realize a lot in my life right now I hide and try my best not to be seen. Now my Ego/Rational/Logical Mind says it’s probably because you live in a foreign country where the men can be over the top with the cat calling and your obligated to talk to your neighbors for at least 30 minutes if you pass by them. These things are a 100% TRUE. However, I think it’s gotten out of hand. I don’t go run on the beach (which was a dream of mine I totally manifested) because I don’t want the men to bother me, when really they are used to me now AND I could put on headphones if I REALLY wanted to go run. If and when I don’t have time to stop and talk to my neighbors I do feel guilty (and we know how far guilt takes us…) however when I have some speed in my step and I give a big warm wave and greeting, that is also sufficient and does not warrant me hiding out at times when I should be out and about.

It has also manifested in my demeanor, I find I hold my shoulders slumped over and I’m now even experience back pain. Are you kidding me! See how far this has gone? Subconsciously, I’m saying, I’m small, don’t see me, don’t bother me. Well I know that anyone that looks like that is a Target for anyone looking to bother someone, so why not straighten up and look like the girl you Don’t want to mess with! Lastly, blogging, guest blogging, writing and sharing all things creative, are things I have NOT been doing even though I have been asked to or know I want to do, just in the name of “not being seen”. I have so many writings that I think of everyday for this blog, but then I think, “oh you’ll sound preachy”, or “that is just silly”, or “that is too syrupy sweet and no one is gonna wanna read that”. Well the Truth is that it’s MY blog! I write what I want. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. Simple. If I KNOW that, why do hesistate? Why if someone asks me to contribute to their website I all of a sudden get shy?

Be Seen.

Two words, but they have a huge impact on my life right now. I have to break out of it. I have told myself once I go back to the USA I’ll be more in my element, but the truth is a) things like Writing have nothing to do with where I am geographically. b) Anytime you start a statement with “I’ll start tomorrow” you might as well hang it up now, because you’re head is in the wrong spot.

Man, I didn’t even know how much I felt and knew about this issue in my life until right now! I almost didn’t write this post because I was thinking I should have something organized, but in the spirit of just going for it I sat down and wrote, and I’m glad I did. I now have a clearer understanding of where I am and what I need to work on.

What have you found stirring in your Spirit as something that has GOT to change in this coming year?

My New Year New You Program:

I'm always coming up with a new program, this is my latest....

I wrote a calendar in my spiral (I'm thinking about getting a poster board and making a big one for my wall, but the idea just came to me while I was journaling, for now it's in my spiral)

I wrote down all of the things I want to work on. For example, morning prayer, meditation and yoga hour, wake up early (5/5:30) to have quiet time to do those things, whole foods eating and as Green as possible, 30 min of cardio, Productivity which is working on my dream life basically, camps, workshops, life coaching etc, writing (be it journaling, writing my 750 words etc), Scholastics (this used to be "reading" but now it includes, the current book I'm reading for leisure, catching up on current events, or studying Spanish), Band Practice (as I affectionately call it which is either continuing to teach myself guitar or even singing!), and To Do List (just making sure in doing all of these self improvement things I am handling my responsibilities as well).

As you can see I have the calendar drawn out, you can also purchase a planner that you dedicate to tracking your process and nothing else. I suggest that, because if your planner is anything like mine, it's full of quotes, scribbles, and my tedious "to-dos", this planner should be dedicated only to the program so that you don't get your wires crossed. Next, I created little symbols to represent an activity and if I completed it that day, I drew the symbol in the box of the day I completed the action.

I also have a key or a legend that explains each activity, duration of time and frequency it would ideally happen. For example, Morning Prayer time is a 7x a week jam, while the "Band Practice" is a 4x a week thing because it's more of an enrichment activity. Most of the activities are 5 or 6 x a week. Try not to get caught up in the day to day, but at the end of the week review your progress. Where are you excelling? Where do you need to focus more effort?

I am also going to come up with rewards of some kind to acknowledge extra effort on my part, if I can hit 7x a week on these things. Ideally I would workout, eat healthy, work on my dream projects and read to my hearts content everyday, but that probably won't happen all the time. I allow room for Life to happen and still be a success, achieving working out 5x a week would be huge for me, so that's why I have them as mandatory 5x a week so I can still be pleased with my progress. However, if I hit 7x, fiesta!! Maybe just knowing I did something every day that week that I have identified as something that will improve my way of living is enough.

If you incorporate this program let me know how it goes it for you and I will definitely keep you posted on my progress as well. You see how my illustrations and calendar are Very basic and rough. Your can be too, no need to spend any money or hire an artist! The point is just a way to keep you prioritizing and focused on what you want to continue to create and manifest the results that you desire in your life. These photos were taking January 3rd, so there isn't much filled out, but it's just to give you an idea. Good Luck, Buena Suerte!!

New Year, New You!

I have so much to say about the new year I feel that I can go on and on. I'm sure you've read countless New Years Resolutions and pep talks. So I'll leave it at this.

2011 is a New Year and a New You. Leave old stories in 2011 and Choose Your Own Adventure this coming year. The thing that you never took a leap to try. GO FOR IT this year. At full force! It may not manifest itself until December, it may not manifest itself until another 3 years! What I do know is if you go for the thing, whatever it may be, with laser focus, by December of this year you would have made Leaps and Bounds of progress in the direction of your goal.

I am making some leaps that definitely have me nervous (in that excited tingly way) and that I haven't tried before. I have taken inspired actions and the ball is rolling. More on that to come :)

I also have some pretty standard goals, that I intend to Seriously stick to this year! I have a new force and determination that I feel like I had lost for awhile there.

Eating whole foods, experimenting with raw dishes, serious about being Pescatarian (really veg most of the time but on occasion, fish)

Exercise. I get so bored with a normal workout. So I'm looking into learning how to surf and joining a soccer team!! (I SO don't play soccer btw...but it should be fun!)

Business plan: Getting serious about my dreams, making them lucrative, I have ideas and dreams of organizations and business that will help people and shrink for the challenge ALL The time. I'm afraid of the "Who does she think she is" Gremlins in my head and "What if you're not enough" recording that plays over and over. I know that's a lie. I'm enough right Now. I'm a self help enthusiast, a camp afectionato, a work-a-lover (instead of -holic), and I AM enough and I think that I have something to offer, that's who I think...excuse me....Know who I am. So really no excuses and no more shrinking.

Which brings me to this quote and I will leave you all with this thought by Marianne Williamson-

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

That's my 2011 Mantra I have to live it like I've never lived it before. Choose Your Own Adventure and Live Your Life To the Fullest. Catch you on the Flip Side!!

Love, Light and Brimming over with Gratitude!

ASB






(pic: of me this Christmas cooking at the "Treehouse" beach house)