Sticking to your New Year's Resolutions.

We have all been there. The clock strikes midnight and we declare to our friends and family what our intentions are for the New Year. We wake up New Years Day full of motivation to set the wheels in motion for our declarations. We are feeling good and we follow through… sometimes. Sometimes we think, well I will but I just need to get through today, then I’ll start.

You might start and then after a few days old habits start to creep in and you slowly but surely find you go back to your old ways and nothing has changed. What happened?

Sometimes willpower alone and good intentions are not always enough to keep you on track. For lasting change your motivation levels need to be high and you need to keep them there.

In the latest episode of the How I Quit Alcohol Podcast I delve in to this and key ways to keep yourself motivated with my hubby Ash Grunwald.

To tune in go to

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1181729/7088911

The best ways to stay motived are :

Daily Journaling Practise

Journaling is an extremely powerful too that will help to maintain focus and integrate your experiences in to your mind. The act of putting ideas to paper will help you see what is possible.

A journal will help you to create an action plan and deal with obstacles as they arise and reflect on the journey as a whole. The key to journaling is starting small. You don’t need to write a novel each day.

Start with writing down:

- 3 things you are grateful for each day.

- 3 positive affirmations . I am ………….

- 3 things you want to achieve each day.

Get a Support Network

Whatever your resolution is, find a partner or better still, a group to do it with. Having a support person or network will keep you accountable and help you stay motivated. This can also mean limiting time with people who might have a negative effect on you reaching your goals for a short time until you get stronger.

Set Mini Goals

In his book Tiny Habits, BJ Fogg talks about the power of setting small manageable goals that fit into your life and the power of celebrating your achievements instantly to help rewire your brain. 

Knowing Your Reasons WHY

When you set your New Year's resolution there is always a reason behind why you are doing it. The meaning behind what you are doing is what will keep you on track. It’s the reason you set the intention in the first place.

Think and write about WHY you want to achieve this goal and what obtaining the goal will mean to you or those around you. If you want to lose 5 kilos and that is your NYR, just thinking about it is not very motivating. For example, you may want to lose that weight so you will feel more confident to talk in public or to be on stage. Plus, feel healthier and have more energy to play with your kids. 

So if your resolution is to quit drinking, think about your WHY. I am committed to quitting drinking so that……………

Wishing you all an amazing 2021.