REFLECTIONS -- What Winners Do

Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/

What Winners Do

By Theresa Koltes

I hear the fireworks explode and the screams of Happy New Year resound from the streets. Bursts of florescent lights and sparkles of champagne ignite in one glorious dance before my eyes. Glitter flits down on my eyelids and decorates my hair.

That was last year.

I have been trying to forget that day that launched the beginning of that New Year. Not because it reminds me of hangovers, or dances with random people I was really glad I never saw again, but because of how far I fell back in my resolutions. I woke up on the first of January and couldn’t contain the excitement of the new habits I was going to start, how much progress I could make, the results I could deliver…I don’t really know what happened after that fuse of energy fizzled out. But then I think that there are probably thousands of people reading this and secretly understanding what I’m saying. Or there may be some just shaking their heads at my serious self-discipline deficiency.

If you are reading this and feeling that sinking feeling about the goals you set for New Years, you’re not alone. Maybe you set a goal to start waking up earlier. You set your alarm and hopped into bed earlier the night before with the best of hopes. But when the alarm sounded the next morning, it was still dark outside and dreadfully cold. Getting out of bed so early suddenly didn’t seem to make any sense at all.

Maybe your goal was to lose a few pounds. You were wholeheartedly pounding the treadmill and shaking to your favorite beats, when your eyes saw an advertisement for your favorite chocolate cookies. Too late.  Even the call of the treadmill couldn’t stop you.

Maybe you wanted to become a more positive person. You set a time to stand in front of the mirror every day and say nice things. But then you got a knock on the door from “that” neighbor. Enough said. You’re discouraged. You hate the neighbor. Hate the alarm. Hate the cookies.

Believe it or not, there’s a saying for the saddened. It’s never too late to start again. After all, everyone knows the first tries are the hardest. What if we tried to prove to ourselves that we’re tougher this time?

In international surveys, habit makers share the same methods that have obviously worked for them.

1. Write it down. Keep track of everything. It may seem exhausting after the first week, but having a record system helps things seem more real and official. Also, noting down your daily progress will inspire you. At the end of the month you can look back and smile.

2. Start simple. Don’t dive into a crash diet the first day or even set your alarm to an ungodly hour. Like babies learn to walk, they begin with crawling. “But I’m not even moving yet”, you’re thinking. That’s okay. Be realistic about your goals and break it up accordingly. No one is judging you except for you.

3. Motivate yourself. Keep books nearby on your goals. Post pictures on your wall of the out come. Hang around positive, active people. Attend clubs and gatherings where there are people striving for similar goals. There are a million ways to motivate yourself, so don’t let it all brew from your mind and ‘inner self’. Get flamboyant with it.

4. Uplift. Don’t discourage yourself. Building good habits is largely psychological.  Being positive is what will give you insurmountable strength. Try the “but” tactic, one of my personal favorites. For example; “That neighbor is driving me…BUT at least she doesn’t complain about my cat.”

There are hundreds more words of wisdom, but these should get you heading in the right direction. And by the time the next New Year rolls along, you’ll get that funny foreign feeling…the feeling of a winner!

Remember--you’re tougher than you think!