From Resolutions to Real Solutions:
5 Tips for Creating a New You in the New Year
The old approach to New Year's Resolutions--"take baby steps," for example--just doesn't work. Here are five new strategies, based on the revolutionary coaching advice in "The Health Seeker's Handbook."
EAST AMHERST, NY (PRWEB) December 10, 2003 --As New Years Day approaches, the hearts and minds of those committed to self improvement naturally turn to New Years resolutions, with the instinct and determination of a flock of geese turning south for winter.
Bob Merberg, Founder of the Center for Personal Health Coaching and author of "The Health Seekers Handbook," offers five original tips for making New Years resolutions stick:
| | - Think big. Everyone will tell you to take baby steps. But baby steps yield baby results. Be bold with your resolutions and motivation will naturally follow. If youve never been an exerciser, dont just resolve to start a fitness program, resolve to finish a 5-mile road race before the year is out (or a marathon, if youre already in good shape). Or, instead of resolving to save 10% of your income, resolve to double your income. As the saying goes, if you can dream it, you can do it."
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| | - Go public. Your resolution neednt be a secret. In fact, announce it to as many people as you can. Post it on a big bright flier in your office or cubicle. Or keep a blog (web-log) of your progress.
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| | - Get help. Join a support group, hire a coach or trainer, enlist a friend to help you in whatever way you may need it. Include role models - people who have made the same change youre making - in your network.
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| | - Create space. Dont try to shoehorn your resolution into everything youre already doing. Make space for it in your life by letting go of other projects and tasks. Resolve not to do some of the things youve been planning, such as taking a class, making home improvements, or starting a new hobby.
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| | - Anticipate setbacks. Be positive even when you realize youve reverted to old behaviors. Lapses are opportunities to refine your plan so that you stick with it as you get back on track. You may need more support, less stress, or something else. Remember, setbacks are the rule, not the exception. Incorporating them into your plan is a key step toward transforming resolutions into real solutions.
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Some people give up on their New Years resolutions before theyve even started," Merberg notes. They need to realize that New Years resolutions can genuinely elicit permanent change. The important thing is to plan and strategize appropriately, and not to rely exclusively on willpower."
Bob Merberg has used innovative coaching models to help self improvers break through to their goals for more than 15 years. He is a faculty member for Wellcoaches Corporation, a graduate of Coach University, and holds a Masters degree in Exercise Science and Community Health. His new book, "The Health Seekers Handbook" (Well Lit Books, November 2003, $14.95) - which includes loads of practical strategies just like Merbergs five New Years resolution tips - is available via bookstores nationwide and from online retailers. More information about the book is available at http://www.healthseekershandbook.com.
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