Happy New Year!

Let me be the millionth person to wish you a Happy New Year! I wish you a year filled with wonderful surprises and lots of wish fulfillment.

Did you make resolutions for this new year? Have you started them yet? Have you broken them yet? I have so many things that I would like to change! It would take a notebook to keep track of them. Do you find it easy to make a list of changes you would like to implement?

While I am by no means an expert on making personal changes, I have read widely on the subject. As a result, I have some suggestions.

1.  Start with one change. Do not try and change more than one behaviors at a time.That is a recipe for disappointment. If you have a list of things that you want to change, make the list but plan to start each one a month apart. So, let's say you want to start going to the gym and you want to lose weight. So maybe you start going to the gym in January and plan to start changing your eating habits in February.Don't try and be a juggler with your changes - those balls will fall down.

2.  Look at the changes and make them measurable  Don't just say, "I am going to start going to the gym".  Instead say, "I am going to the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 30 minutes." That way you know when and for how long it will take you to meet your desired change.

3.  Plan for problems  Maybe once a month you have to go to a meeting at the normal time you would go to the gym. Think about how you will adjust your schedule for occurrences that will crop up.Will you go at a different time of day or will you go on a different day? If you have a plan in mind for when you will have to adjust, it will help you when the time comes.

4.  Find a way to enjoy whatever you are going to do. If it is going to the gym, do something that will be more fun for you. Maybe you need a kickboxing class. Maybe running on the treadmill and listening to books on tape is better for you. Think about what you like and incorporate it into your whatever you decide that you have to change.

5.  If you have a big change that you want to make, break it down into pieces. Then you can see how to accomplish the change and see yourself moving toward the goal.

6.  Tell someone about your goal. Supposedly this will help you keep to it. I am not a fan of this. I think that I will stop whether or not I have told someone. You know if that would motivate you so if it would, tell someone. (or everyone)

Overall, just think of the little engine that could.  I think I can. I think I can.

Thanks for reading!