Turning those New Year’s resolutions into action!

At this time of year we have all probably made some positive resolutions for the New Year. Most of us are good at making resolutions, making some plans or goals, but the problem is turning our good intentions into behaviours.

Here are 4 steps that can help:

1. Reframe the goal or resolution in a positive way. What you want to do more of rather than less of eg. eat healthier, exercise more, laugh more!
2. Clarify why this is important to you? What does this mean to me? What would it look like?
3. What am I going to do about it? Break it into small daily steps.
4. Notice what stops me doing step 3! What are the unhelpful ways of thinking that stops me eg. Excuses or justifications. What is the emotional discomfort I feel so I avoid doing it?

Step 4 is the one that we often have to work on and this is where we may need to be honest with ourselves. Sometimes talking to a psychologist may helpful to overcome those barriers to change.

Here is a good question to begin the New Year with. “If I was happier what would I be doing more of?” List them, choose the most important to you, and go back to step 1.