An article by Dr. Rena Saini, ND
In our society, January is a time for new beginnings. It is a time to re-evaluate yourself and see how far you have come. It is a time to create new resolutions and goals for the future. It is a time to look inward and examine life more closely. First I have to be honest … somewhere over the years I made a resolution not to make any New Years resolutions in January. I actually do it around my birthday in October! (Many of you who know me KNOW that I am very serious about my birthday….!!!!) The point is, the act of goal setting and close examination still remains. So if you are like me and your time line is slightly different than the majority, that’s ok. These tips will still help you successfully attain your goals. When I look back at this past year A LOT has happened in my life. I had made the strong intention to make a happy life for myself, and heal my heart. I look back and I’m pretty blown away by my progress. Not many people can say they transformed their life in a year. Actually many people fall short of their goals. According to an article in Forbes only 8% of people keep resolutions.
That’s sad. So here are some hacks to help you achieve whatever goal you desire. Fitness, work, relationships, lifestyle… there is a secret formula to tapping into success. A book I love is “Better than Before” by Gretchen Rubin. It examines why we fail to continue tasks that make us happy and give us joy. She also speaks on habits, and how we can override ones which don’t suit us.
Three things from the book:
1. A behaviour becomes a habit when it no longer requires a decision from you.
2. To change a habit effectively, you need to understand your ’tendency’(character).
3. Scheduling is one of the most effective ways to building better habits. I personally found tip helpful: Pair a new habit with an old habit. For example, if you brush your teeth every morning, then pair that with stating what you are grateful for. When a habit is created it requires NO WILLPOWER, which is important because we only have so much willpower in a day.
“When we change our habits, we change our lives”. “If we’re trying to persuade people to adopt a habit, we have more success if we consider their Tendency, and cater accordingly” (defining their character style and use the appropriate tools).I am big on CONSISTENCY(doing something everyday) and CONGRUENCY (aligning with your true values). I find this is fundamental to achieving great success in anything you do.
Wishing you much love and happiness for this 2018 !