Cherrene Taylor Counseling

…Resolve not to make any more New Year’s resolutions.

Now, wasn’t that easy?

Here we are at the beginning of a New Year…a very special year at that, and we are looking at our new commitment list. If you’re trying to pay down your debt, quit smoking, get a new job or new career, find a loving partner, or shed some excess poundage, abandoning your New Year’s resolutions won’t get you off the hook.

But, by setting more realistic goals for yourself and not limiting yourself to a once-a-year, do-or-die, all-out attack on these,  you may find that the finish line isn’t so far away after all.

“…you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.”

Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions -

• Lose weight

• Manage debt/save money

• Get a better job

• Spend more quality time with family

• Eat healthy and get fit

• Drink less alcohol

• Quit smoking

• Reduce stress overall and/or at work

• Take a trip

• Volunteer to help others

Year after year, the top New Year’s resolution is to go on a diet. Diet is a way of eating that feels so depriving that you can hardly wait to get to the end of it so you can go back to doing what you did before. Some resolution-makers last a week keeping their New Year’s resolutions, and some stick it out all the way to Feb. 1, but very few manage to achieve their goal weight. We need to put the emphasis on setting attainable goals.  Saying to yourself ‘One day at a time’, or ‘What can I do today?’ makes it much more manageable and attainable.

“The hardest thing you every do?”

It’s OK to make New Year’s resolutions, but only if you see them not as unbreakable promises to yourself, but as positive statements about possibilities for your intentions. These resolutions make your intentions clear and motivate you, not unlike a personal coach.

“Make a resolution and share it with others who will support you!”

When you make a resolution and say to family and friends ‘I’m going to lose weight, well this helps you stick to a plan. If you don’t have a plan, you won’t get very far.

“Play up the Positive”

The problem with most New Year’s resolutions is that they tend to accentuate the negative rather than latch on to the affirmative. It’s not about taking something away from, but adding something more positive to your body, mind and spirit.   I think if you framed it differently and made it more of a positive experience, then it would be easier for you to keep resolutions, and psychologically it would make you feel a lot better about yourself.

I will assist you in helping you realize that when you talk about losing some weight, your goal isn’t just weight loss, but looking better or feeling healthier. It’s not about leaving your job, but looking for something that is going to fill your soul and keep you financially independent at the same time. It’s not about finding someone to love, but about finding out what you love about yourself that you can offer to another.

To understand your goals, I help you to ask the right questions, see the choices available to you, the patterns that keep recycling, and help you focus on what you really want and how best to achieve it.

I think you need life resolutions that can help you transform your life. Many people make resolutions at the beginning of the year but then they forget about it. You need something that empowers you to change and transform your life.

You have the choice to develop your own personal power and accountability to make changes and take control of your life.

Some people believe that we’re in an economic crisis now, and this has opened everyone’s eyes. What we need is to look deep inside, really know who we are and what we want out of life, and put plans together.

New Year’s is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time and it’s the first opportunity you have in this New Year to remake yourself, to make your first commitment to change.

The challenge is not in making New Year’s resolutions, but in keeping them by honoring the commitment to change. To be successful, a resolution — whether it’s for personal improvement or a sure-fire business plan — needs to be specific, have measurable landmarks, and a solid deadline.

2012 is the beginning of a wonderful cycle in everyone’s life path! The journey is getting very exciting and abundance is everywhere. What do you want to do with the gifts that are presenting themselves to you? How can you see them or feel them when you are caught up in the ramblings of chatter in your head?  All you need to do is change the frequency and listen. If you need help, I am here to assist you.

Blessings to all!