Stop making New Year's resolutions. Start doing this!
Bob Martel
While we are focused on wrapping up 2021 business, while trying to focus on the spirit of the holiday season, all with an eye on January and beyond, it's that time of year when people are anticipating the annual ritual of New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions almost always fail in short order, so stop making them! Since the new year is at our doorstep, I want to suggest that setting an intention has far greater staying power, greater impact, and increases the likelihood of success. When you set a clear intention for yourself or your business, there is a far greater, more inspired commitment to making it a reality.
Forget about making any New Year’s resolutions and adopt a more meaningful strategy. Failed resolutions are discouraging and lead to surrender of what you say you want for yourself. The same critical success factor I use with all hypnotherapy clients can help you make lasting change, with confidence that what you want for yourself, or your company, has an actual likelihood of happening! Set an intention instead and use your mind to help you move toward it, with a focus on progress and milestones. Shifting to an intention mindset opens the door to establishing new habits, and toward enjoying the journey to the destination.
It’s important to recognize the distinction between a resolution and an intention. It’s hardly a semantic difference. Resolutions are simple promises without a clear plan, and from a human behavioral standpoint, they hardly ever lead to sustainable change because the action steps are either undefined or abandoned. Most resolution setters are simply not being honest with themselves, for they know in their heart they are not committed. This leads to sadness and regret. Stop it! Resolutions are a promise to oneself with no action plan. Committed intentions are fueled by accountable progress. Usually, the lack of an action plan in place is a sign of self-limiting beliefs, low self-esteem, and confidence, or even the feeling the dream of the resolution becoming real is just not something deserved. Shift to a resource state self-love and set some small intentions with an achievable action plan. Clarity of intention sets the stage for taking back control of the trajectory of your life and your business, and it unlocks a door to greater happiness and prosperity.
• Toss out the idea that habit change is a long process. Using self-hypnosis, which a skill easily learned, habit change can be almost immediate.
• Make it a fun journey toward enjoying the new you emerging as you set and realize intentions. You create momentum as you overcome inertia.
• Find 20 minutes prior to the start of your day. Find quiet time for thinking – with no phones, devices, or other distractions. Invite the muse and scratch out on paper what needs to write.
• Engage your whole self in the setting of intentions: access the mind-body-spirit-heart connection and focus on what you want. The Japanese have a word for it: kokoro – mind, body, spirit and heart all working together toward an intention.
• Remember, our energy flows where our attention goes. Intentions have this magic-like quality of channeling energy to what’s most important.
•Get in the habit of setting daily, weekly, monthly, and annual intentions.
• Goals are in the future. Connecting with your set intention is present moment. Connect daily with your intention to draw energy and anticipation.
The best benefit of shifting to an intention mindset is the sense of calm that comes with having a realistic game plan. Achieving even the smallest of milestones releases endorphins and makes you feel great. You regain a better feeling of being more in control of your personal, professional or business destiny. Resolutions fail to deliver any of this.
Combining an intention-based strategy with self-hypnosis – which is simply a focused state of awareness enabling the mind to embrace suggestions for your highest and best helps to accelerate progress and strengthen commitment, setting the right milestones with greater clarity as you access that inner wisdom.
As 2022 approaches, reflect on 2021. The past can be a teacher, but it can be a trap. Remember, the past is gone, and the future is not here yet, so enjoy today. Set that as your first daily intention!
Bob Martel is a professional life coach and hypnotist, at Positive Results Hypnosis in Holden. Bob can be reached at bob@bobmartel.com or at www.positiveresultshypnosis.com. He has prepared a report to accompany this article: 21 Intentions to Consider for 2022! Send him an email to get a copy.
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