Are New Year resolutions the way to a happier you?

I love the start of the New Year – for me it has something of the feel of a new school year, or a new notebook all ready to fill up with exciting opportunities and possibilities. A lot of effort is put into getting your resolutions just right to be happy at the start of the year. Yet often only a few days into the New Year we’ve diverted back to our old habits or created alternative new habits! So what’s the secret to success?

Think about happiness differently

Often we feel we can only be happy, confident or believe in ourselves when some magical set of circumstances happen, or when we reach that goal we have been working on. Actually, we can access that state here and now – if only we stop in the moment enough to realise it and enjoy it! To change from thinking about how you can be happy when something changes, to what makes you happy now, is a great way to stay in the present and enjoy the life you have whilst still leaving room to aspire, dream and take action.

Start small

Sometimes we get stuck and procrastinate because there is something we’ve always wanted, whether it’s a change in career, travelling the world, starting a family, but we just can’t think how to get started. It’s fabulous to have that dream and goal, now it is time to think about the smaller steps and actions to take to start making it a reality.

Start randomly and have fun with it

Often it’s the pressure of other people checking in which puts us off our dreams and goals. It’s like people are waiting for 2nd January for us to announce we’ve had that cigarette, had a glass of wine or eaten that whole box of jaffa cakes! Start randomly on a date you choose, rather than what others tell you. Tread lightly with your dreams – share them with those you know who will support you or think about working with a coach to get an independent support and cheerleader.

Visualise what you do want rather than running from what you don’t want

When we focus on our possibilities and really visualise ourselves attaining them, they become more real to us. This is how top athletes add to their practical training, with visualising themselves running and winning that race in the marathon. If you are more auditory then listen to music which makes you think about achieving your goals, or write yourself a story about what it will be like when you have achieved it, then record it so you can listen on your MP3. Try something different! Vision boards are also a great way to keep in touch with what you want, stick it up on your fridge or by your mirror so you can be reminded of what you want each day.

Get excited about what you want to do

Think about how a child throws themselves into their dreams without fear. What would it be like if you did this? Start with ways to achieve your dream which are natural to you and play to your strengths so you enjoy taking the small and large steps to do something new.

Lisa Wynn, Founder and CEO www.coachingfordads.com

Tags: Self improvement & wellbeing