/24-7PressRelease/ - DIAMOND BAR, CA, December 15, 2007 - The following article was provided by Carl Allen Schoner, C.Ht, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist.
Here are some very simple things you can do right now to get a head-start on succeeding at whatever New Year's resolutions you set for yourself this year! If these steps seem simple to you, good! That means you are in tune with the ideas presented here, and that implementing them should be easy for you!
1) Recognize that achieving any resolution is the result of personal change.
Start by recognizing that all accomplishments are the result of changing an emotional set-point and its behavioral cycles, and commit yourself to behaving according to this rule. You cannot change one without changing the other, and you cannot grow in life without change. Deciding which set-points you wish to change is the first step you will take on your journey of self-discovery. It is a small, simple step, but it carries a lot of weight, and we ought not to neglect the ultimate direction that that first step will lead us.
2) Identify the events that trigger your habitual behavior.
Identify and write down the trigger events that you associate with the habits you wish to change, and make a commitment to either eliminate or desensitize those triggers. A trigger is something that automatically causes something else to happen. The subconscious mind is like a minefield loaded with triggers that cause us to react emotionally every time they are activated. For example, if someone smiles at you during the day, this is likely to trigger a smile from you, even if you are not really in the mood for smiling. And if you are in the mood for smiling, and someone suddenly cuts you off in traffic, this is likely to trigger a different reaction from you.
Examples:
Since my smoking is triggered by stress, I will change this response and use exercise to reduce stress instead.
Since drinking coffee seems to trigger my desire for a cigarette, I will drink tea instead of coffee.
Since I overeat because I am lonely, I will join social groups to eliminate my sense of loneliness.
I feel stress when I am asked to speak. To change this, I will make it a habit to always begin my presentations with a humorous story that I know well, and feel at ease telling.
I will chew a stick of gum whenever I have an urge for a cigarette.
3) Decide which behavioral patterns you wish to replace, and then just do it!
There is no need to make your transformation more difficult than it ought to be. If you struggle with backflow, it is because you have not made the full commitment to actualize your change; you are still allowing yourself the option to go back to the old behavior. If you fondly dwell on your old habits you are inviting backflow. It is one thing to say "I want to lose weight some day"; it is quite another to say "I want to weigh 150 pounds by June 1st, and know with confidence that I will never be overweight again."
4) Set clear, attainable goals, and focus on one goal at a time.
Many of us don't consciously aim at the target because it's so much easier to simply allow our subconscious mind to guide us through the day. If you do not make a conscious effort to aim the subconscious mind at clearly defined goals, it will simply continue performing the same old routines from the past. But once an idea is established in the subconscious mind it will perpetuate this new direction effortlessly. This is the feeling of being "set free" that so many people rejoice in once they finally visualize their success! So aim clearly at your target resolutions!
5) Set realistic timelines for your goals to be realized.
A goal without a specified target date is not a goal any more than a marriage engagement without a ring and a date is not an engagement. And so it is with all of the goals we set in life. If you do not set dates, your existing behavior will simply perpetuate itself. It is only after you set a specific date for a goal that the concept of time begins to affect your behavior.
6) Make your commitment to success non-negotiable.
Establish it in your mind that your resolution is a non-negotiable commitment. Make it known to others. If your resolution is to quit smoking, then simply announce it to everyone you know. Say to them, "I want you to know that I have quit smoking, for good!" This is much more forceful than saying "I plan to quit," which is future passive, and simply states that you really don't plan to do anything right now. You must proudly proclaim to your loved ones, right here and now, what your resolutions are, and then embark upon that new path, right here and now.
7) Visualize yourself as having already accomplished your goal.
This is an extremely effective way to initiate the patterns necessary to accomplish any goal you set for yourself. By visualizing yourself as having already reached the goal, you mentally place the goal within reach. If you can visualize it, the goal is probably attainable. If you can't visualize it, then it is unrealistic and you will never attain it.
When you finally do succeed in achieving this visualization, it will be abundantly clear to you that you have crossed a major threshold in your life. You will suddenly see yourself in a new light, as a new person. Your thinking will change in the glow of this light, and your behavior will naturally follow this new path you have set for yourself, a path that leads only to success. Remember, if you can visualize your goals, you can achieve them!
8) Strictly enforce your commitment.
Bad habits are like criminals: they rob us of our sense of responsibility, and when you try to eradicate them, they always try to return to the scene of the crime. If you catch them doing this you must literally haul yourself before your own better judgment to question why you are allowing them to sabotage your better judgment. You must faithfully ask these questions every time you feel yourself surrendering to back-flow urges and cravings.
9) Measure your progress.
Remember that, a goal without a timeline is not a goal. You must set specific target dates for all of the tasks associated with a larger goal. Otherwise, you will never really know if you are advancing on your goal, or if it is slipping out of your reach and will probably go unrealized.
10) Reward yourself for success!
Make it a habit to reward yourself when you reach your major milestones, and only when you have achieved them. This is especially true when you are pursuing financial success. Many people are so inclined toward immediate gratification that they bury themselves in smothering debt, thereby sabotaging their chances of ever achieving financial independence in the future.
When you establish a pattern of rewarding yourself only as you achieve higher levels of success you encourage your own advancement, while avoiding the pitfalls of instant gratification, the pursuit of which has dashed the hopes of many people who have striven only to present the "image" of success!
About the author: Carl Allen Schoner holds a degree in behavioral science and is a certified clinical hypnotherapist and personal trainer. He has written several motivational books, and his articles and cartoons have appeared in many prestigious publications such as Consulting Magazine, The California Law School Journal, Chess Life Magazine, and The Saturday Evening Post. Interested readers can learn more by visiting his websites at http://www.lulu.com/carl-schoner and http://www.geocities.com/dreampsycles.
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