How To Make New Year's Resolutions That Work!

New Year's is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of this year tick away, we become introspective. Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making New Year's Resolutions. New Year's Resolutions offer the first of many important tools for remaking ourselves.

People the world over make New Year's Resolutions. Often, what we vow to improve is some habit related to health, weight, exercise, occupation and income. You may think your successes or failures in this department are of no interest to the world at large. Not true. In fact, a whole branch of science—psychology—is devoted to behavior modification. And psychology tells us that there are five stages involved in turning resolutions into realities.

The Five Stages That Lead to Successful Resolutions

Pre-contemplation: The desire to change is vague. This is a good time to seek information and ask some important questions such as, "What risks am I running by going along just as I have been?"
Contemplation: Weigh the benefits of change. This is a time to get specific, to monitor behavior. For example, keep a record of how much you eat, drink, spend, etc.
Preparation: Begin making small changes. For example, you might give up some TV time and redirect your energy. Now's the time to tell family and friends that the leopard is about to change his spots. This is the time to make a firm commitment.
The Action: Banish and sacrifice vices while embracing and committing to new virtues. At this point, give yourself all the help and support you can by creating a sense of accountability to others. Encourage family and friends to prod, provoke and push you.
Maintenance: This is the challenging part. You're finished with your old habit and into your new life. It is a lot easier to maintain your resolution than it is to regain it. Do your self a monumental favor and stay focused on WHY you set this resolution in the first place!

Those who stay the course and fulfill their resolutions share these characteristics:

1. They believe in their ability to change.
2. They did not indulge in self-blame or excuse making.
3. They avoid wishful thinking and concentrate on results.
4. They understand their motivators and reasons why the resolution is important.

Resolution Guidelines

The most important investments require time. Setting and achieving a resolution requires focus, effort, and commitment. Changing old habits and developing new ones won't happen overnight. The following four guidelines are meant to help you achieve all of your New Year's Resolutions:
1. Focus on one resolution at a time. Divide and conquer the activities to achieve your desired results. Break larger tasks into smaller ones — each of these make up your Personal Resolution Roadmap, a path to achieve your goal.
2. Create a sense of accountability. Designate a friend, mentor, or companion for sharing successes, monitoring progress, and offering support. The benefit of involving others in your goals and plans is instant access to experience, knowledge, and wisdom— it also raises the bar of responsibility.
Research indicates that one of the qualities of those who are successful at making changes is that they have excellent support systems. Many of those who make resolutions never tell others about them. Consciously or subconsciously, that way if they fail no one will view them as a failure.
Communicating your resolution and intentions actually increases your accountability to the behavior. From the very beginning it is important to share your objectives and goals with those around you so that you can enlist their support. Knowing that you are accountable to someone other than yourself will help to keep you on track.
3. Persist until completed. A resolution achieved is a stunning example of consistency and hard work. If you fall behind schedule or are sidetracked for any reason, refocus! Just don't give up! Don't surrender to temptation, difficulty or temporary failure. Persist until you achieve the goal.
4. Cultivate personal integrity. Integrity gives you the oxygen needed to cross the finish line of accomplishment. Your commitment determines your level of success. This commitment boils down to two essential tactics: daily action and review.

Resolution Beginnings

The nuts and bolts of achieving any resolution are invariably the same. Neither the size of the resolutions nor the person achieving it matters. Successful New Year's Resolutions consist of the following:
Clear Purpose — For a dream to become a goal, it must be specific. Being thin is an image, losing 10 pounds by March 1 is a true resolution. Be clear on what you want to achieve.
Make a New Year's Resolution that you have a real, bona fide intention of keeping. The truth is most people have not made a genuine, serious, no-kidding-around-I-really-mean-to-do-this New Year's Resolution!
In Writing — Describe precisely what you want, how you will earn it, when you will have it, and the benefits you'll receive from achieving your resolution. Write the details, but don't make it complex. When you put it in writing, you increase your chances of moving to the next step and increasing your level of commitment.
Your mind, while blessed with permanent memory, is cursed with lousy recall. Writing your resolution goes a long way towards achieving it.
Commitment — Without commitment, you can say, "Farewell dream. Adios potential. Toodleloo success. Hello Mediocrity!" Your resolution will find a more deserving soul: someone with courage, character, conviction... commitment.
Commitment is not only habitual but also essential — it moves you ever closer to your resolution and ultimate success. Commitment is the heartbeat of your goal.
Accountability Counts — commitment means you own it. You are responsible for taking the resolution that's on paper and turning it into a desired outcome. Owning it means tasking responsibility for changes, risks, failures, and successes.

Creating Your Resolution List

Write down your list of New Year's Resolutions. Get them all out of your head and down on paper.
1.______________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________________
4.______________________________________________________________________
5.______________________________________________________________________
6.______________________________________________________________________
7.______________________________________________________________________
8.______________________________________________________________________
9.______________________________________________________________________
10._____________________________________________________________________
Focus, Focus, Focus!

Does one resolution stand out? One that you are ready to go after. Focus on this one; you can replicate the process later.
My #1 Resolution is:________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Congratulations on your decision. This focus is critical to moving forward.

Resolution Validation

Next, validate your chosen resolution's importance. For each question below, ask yourself if you're getting a green - go, yellow — caution, or red - stop signal.
If a caution or stop signal pops into your head, stop to ask why. It might mean that this resolution isn't the right one to be focusing on. The validation test will keep you motivated as you continue on your resolution road trip.
If the validation questions show you that this is the wrong resolution for now, start over. Return to your original list, and work through the process once again. It is wiser to focus on the right resolution than to start one you're not committed to.
Write down what comes to mind as you read through each question. These notes will serve as a motivational tool for you when you are in the middle of your resolution plan.

Is This Resolution Part of My Personal Mission?

Does this resolution align with my mission? How?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How does this resolution align with my values?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How will this resolution bring me closer to living my mission?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Is This Resolution Really Me?
Is this resolution authentic?___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Can I envision myself accomplishing this goal?____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Is it a habit that I can incorporate into my life?______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Am I The Owner of This Resolution?
Is this MY goal? ____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How can I take complete ownership of this resolution?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Is This Resolution In My Control?
Is this a resolution I can actually achieve? ________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Is it within my control or someone else's?_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What do I control about this resolution? __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What do I not control?________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

How Will This Resolution Stretch Me?
Is this a resolution that will make me grow?_______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How will it help me learn new things? ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

By investing your efforts in each of the five stages that lead to successful resolutions, you give yourself a launch pad for starting your new year and your new life.

I wish for you a New Year of health, wealth, and happiness. A year in which you give yourself many gifts to include the gifts of love, patience, and faith. I encourage you to pursue your resolutions with open arms and to believe deeply in your ability to enjoy the rewards of resolutions and dreams achieved.
Everything Counts!

By Gary Ryan Blair

Why Doesn’t The Law Of Attraction Work?

If you have tried to manifest using the Law of Attraction and failed, you are not alone.  Thousands will give up quickly after making an effort that seems to produce no results.  However, there is an excellent reason why the law is not working for you – you’re not doing it right.

“What do you mean; I’m not doing it right?”  The Secret makes great strides in bringing the Law of Attraction to the public awareness, but many people don’t hear the most important part of the message, which really isn’t focused on until the second half of the movie.  Thoughts alone do not manifest.  It’s the energy and emotion generated by thoughts that manifest.  The speed of manifestation is also directly related to the power of emotional energy put into the intention.

Equally important in ensuring you do not undo your intention while waiting for it to manifest, any energy put into adverse thoughts will cause problems.  For instance, if you successfully send a powerful emotional intention to the universe to bring you money, and then spend the next three days worrying about the bills, you have probably sent out far more negative vibrations about money than positive.  When your intent doesn’t manifest, you really can’t act surprised.

If, however, you are able to focus on your desire and feel excitement – feel what it will be like when it happens, as though it had already happened – then you send a powerful intention to the universe.  Reinforce that over the next few days, and if you catch yourself unconsciously sending out negative intentions, stop immediately and reinforce your intent.  Trust in the process, let go, and don’t worry about when it will manifest.  The sooner you can let go the sooner it will be here and now.

Take about twenty minutes each night and find a private place.  That may be your bedroom, the bath tub, or a favorite spot outside, whatever.  Relax for a moment, and then imagine your intent has come true.  Imagine that it has happened right now, and feel what you would feel had it happened.  The more excited and worked up you can get, the better.  Imagine yourself driving that car, moving into that house, or holding that money.  Make sure you include yourself in your imaginings, as this is absolutely key.

Pick one intention and work on it for about a week, maybe two.  Be sure that during the day you take a relaxed, patient attitude about it, and don’t worry about whether or not it will work.  Don’t worry about when it will manifest.  If you do, then you are working against yourself.  It may help to choose an initial intent that does not involve money or something you need desperately, but rather something you would really like.  Too many people in bad financial situations attempt to manifest money instantly, and they are so consumed with worries over the bills that they never manage to keep a positive manifestation intent out there. 

After you’ve succeeded a time or two with things you aren’t in dire need of, your faith in the process will allow you to go ahead and work on something more important.  This doesn’t have to be a lengthy process by any means.  Manifestation can occur near instantaneously, depending on the quality of your energy and intention.  We are our own worst enemies, and if something isn’t manifesting, you will always know who the culprit is.

Start a daily regimen today, and see if you don’t get better results than you have in the past.  Keep in mind, strong emotion plus detachment plus patience equals manifestation.  Before long, you will remember the days when you weren’t in control of your life as though they were a strange dream.  Best of luck!

The Science of Getting Rich

50 Notable Quotes from Wallace D. Wattles

1. Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich.
2. The purpose of Nature is the advancement and unfoldment of life.
3. Success in life is becoming what you want to be.
4. Wherever there is unexpressed possibility, or function not performed, there is unsatisfied desire.
5. Desire is possibility seeking expression, or function seeking performance.
6. No man is kept poor because opportunity has been taken away from him.
7. Nature is an inexhaustible storehouse of riches; the supply will never run short.
8. Nature is formed for the advancement of life; its impelling motive is the increase of life.
9. Thought is the only power which can produce tangible riches . . .
10. A man’s way of doing things is the direct result of the way he thinks about things.
11. To think what you want to think is to think TRUTH, regardless of appearances.
12. To think according to appearance is easy; to think truth regardless of appearances is laborious, and requires the expenditure of more power than any other work man is called upon to perform.
13. There is no labor from which most people shrink as they do from that of sustained and consecutive thought; it is the hardest work in the world.
14. By thought, the thing you want is brought to you. By action, you receive it.
15. The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best. Therefore it tends to become the best. It takes the form or character of the best, and will receive the best.
16. Many people who order their lives rightly, in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude.
17. There is no labor from which most people shrink as they do from that of sustained and consecutive thought; it is the hardest work in the world.
18. Desire is the effort of the unexpressed possibility within, seeking expression without through your actions.
19. The desire for riches is simply the capacity for larger life seeking fulfillment; every desire is the effort of an unexpressed possibility to come into action.
20. It is the desire of God that you should get rich.
21. The universe desires you to have everything you want to have.
22. God wants that you should make the most of yourself, for yourself, and for others; and you can help others more by making the most of yourself than in any other way.
23. You must get rid of the thought of competition.  You are to create, not to compete for what is already created.
24. You must never think for a moment that the supply is limited.
25. The desire you feel for riches is the Infinite seeking to express Himself in you.
26. The whole process of mental adjustment and atonement can be summed up in one word, gratitude.
27. Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude.
28. It is easy to understand that the nearer we live to the source of wealth, the more wealth we shall receive.
29. The more gratefully we fix our minds on the Supreme when good things come to us, the more good things we will receive.
30. Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come.
31. There is a Law of Gratitude, and it is absolutely necessary that you should observe the law, if you are to get the results you seek.
32. Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are.
33. To permit your mind to dwell upon the inferior is to become inferior and to surround yourself with inferior things.
34. To fix your attention on the best is to surround yourself with the best, and to become the best.
35. The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention.
36. The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore it tends to become the best.
37. The grateful mind continually expects good things, and expectation becomes faith.
38. You must form a clear and definite mental picture of what you want; you cannot transmit an idea unless you have it yourself.
39. You can never get rich, or start the creative power into action, by sending out unformed longings and vague desires.
40. All you need is to know what you want, and to want it badly enough so that it will stay in your thoughts.
41. The more clear and definite you make your picture then, and the more you dwell upon it, bringing out all its delightful details, the stronger your desire will be.
42. The man who can sincerely thank God for the things which as yet he owns only in imagination, has real faith.
43. It is faith and purpose in the use of the imagination which make the difference between the scientist and the dreamer.
44. Hold to the FAITH that the imaginary is being realized, and to the PURPOSE to realize it.
45. Think and speak of all the things you have asked for in terms of actual present ownership.
46. The science of getting rich does not require you to apply power or force to any other person, in any way whatsoever.
47. To get rich, you need only to use your will power upon yourself.
48. It is by your will that you determine upon what things your attention shall be fixed.
49. Get rich; that is the best way you can help the poor.
50. People must be taught to become rich by creation, not by competition.

Secrets From Anthony Robbins

For more than 25 years US-based motivational speaker and success coach Anthony Robbins has been passionately pursuing the answers to questions such as 'What shapes human behaviour? And how can we create lasting change within oursleves and others?'.

He has spoken in front of more than 3 million people around the world and sold around 35 million books and audio coaching products.

After attending his 4-day 'Unleash The Power Within' seminar recently in Kuala Lumpur I learnt many strategies to perform at your best.

I even took part in his famous barefoot walk over hot coals. This powerful physical metaphor shows how anyone can overcome their deepest and greatest fears with focus, passion and desire.

Part rock concert, part learning experience, part aerobic workout, the seminar was attended by more than 4,000 people in a giant indoor sporting stadium that was built for the Commonwealth Games.

Standing 6'7", weighing 265 lbs and with a shoe size of 16, Robbins was impressive on stage as he harnessed the energy of the crowd.

In fact, security guards have to line the stage as he is regularly swamped by over eager fans.

At 43 years old, he has been enourmously successful and worked with people like President Clinton and Melson Mendela.

What was it like?

Hot, humid, high energy and simple take home messages packaged with a high-tech light, sound and video show.

I was impressed, motivated and got some great ideas from it.

Here is my gift to you. The Top 10 Secrets of Success I learnt from spending 4 days with Tony Robbins.

1. YOUR POTENTIAL IS DETERMINED (OR LIMITED) BY YOUR SELF-BELIEF.

As the promotional material says the event was 'about creating breakthroughs, moving beyond fears and limiting beliefs, accomplishing goals and realizing true desires, turning dreams into reality, creating fulfilling relationships, and modeling the strategies of peak performers to produce a quantum difference in your life.'

If you cut out the hype, the simple message is if you believe in yourself enough you can achieve anything.

A memorable one-liner was "the only thing that's keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself".

2. MOST PEOPLE HAVE SELF-DOUBT AROUND UNIVERSAL THEMES.

Ask anyone and most people will admit they lack confidence in some areas of their life. The interesting thing I learnt from this seminar is that this self-doubt is around universal themes. These themes cross age, gender, religous, cultural and language barriers.

Common doubts include 'I am not good enough', 'I am lazy' and 'No-one loves me'.

3. YOU CAN LEARN MECHANISMS TO ELIMINATE SELF-DOUBT.

Robbins calls it 'immersion' where you break old patterns and build new ones by repetition. He uses a lot of Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques to achieve this with his audiences.

He says "progress is not automatic".

A memorable moment in the seminar was when we had to visualize ourselves inside a bubble and inside that bubble was a series of videotapes neatly arranged in a time-line that represented all our memories in our lives so far. We had to pull out the negative videotapes and destroy them. This was followed by time spent visualising the future and how your life will look 10 and 20 years from now.

4. BELIEF IMPACTS ON MANY LEVELS.

The Robbins message was that 3 things shape our self-belief. He calls them the Triad. These are our patterns of physiology, focus and language or meaning.

He highlighted this with the quote: "where focus goes energy flows".

5. OUR VALUES AND BELIEFS SHAPE OUR ACTIONS.

Robbins believes you can "vanquish whatever is holding you back from taking action".

Walking barefoot across a bed of glowing coals is the physical metaphor he uses in his seminars to prove this point to the skeptics.

Eliminate negative self-belief and take massive action are his keys to success.

6. TO CREATE POSITIVE OUTCOMES YOU MUST TAKE MASSIVE ACTION.

"Where focus goes energy flows" is a quote used by Robbins in his presentation to highlight why you need to know your outcome and why achieving this is a must.

But many people fail to take the next step. They delay, put off and find many reasons or excuses not to act.

Robbins believes "progress is not automatic" and "action is power". Take action, even if it is the wrong action. He says it is "never a failure if you learn something".

7. MATCHING & MIRRORING CREATES CONNECTION, TRUST & EMPATHY.

Robbins spent a fair amount of time in the seminar talking about and demonstrating interpersonal communication skills.

He used people from the audience to show how the process of "matching and mirroring" the non-verbal communication and body language of others can be a very powerful way to connect with people.

In essence, you create rapport by adopting the body language of the person you are communicating with.

He believes "rapport is power" and "total responsiveness is created by a feeling of commonality".

If you have learnt these techniques before and haven't used them for a while, I suggest it is time to dust them off and put them into action next time you are communicating with someone on a one-to-one basis.

8. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU FOCUS ON PASSION AND PURPOSE.

Robbins believes that "to have an extraordinary quality of life you need two skills: the science of achievement (the ability to take anything you envision and make it real) and the art of fulfilment (this allows you to enjoy every moment of it)."

He says "success without fulfilment is failure".

Find your passion and purpose in life. My purpose is to make a difference in people's lives and use my gift as a speaker.

9. MODEL YOURSELF ON OTHER ACHIEVERS.

To gain improvements quickly and step up to a new level of achievement, Robbins believes learning from others who are the best in their field is the fastest way to achieve success.

He told the story of how he wanted to improve his tennis game and so employed Andre Agassi, the then number one ranked player to help him achieve this.

Who could you model yourself on?

"People's lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group," according to Robbins.

10. SUCCESS IS BUILT ON A HEALTHY, HIGH ENERGY BODY, HEART AND MIND

If you are not healthy - all of the above points are a waste of time.

Your health is determined and influenced by your lifestyle.

One major change I've made since the seminar is to eat a healthier diet and exercise more regularly.

As a speaker, my whole business depends on my ability to perform at a peak state. Like any professional athlete, the success of business is directly linked to my diet and health.

Take care of yourself, your body is ultimately your most important asset.

http://www.tonyrobbinseurope.com