With each New Year there are new beginnings and new opportunities for all of us. It is a time that many people around the world vow to reinvent a better version of themselves or to turn their lives in a more positive direction. That is why the New Year brings hope to so many. The only problem is that many resort to their old ways before they get out of the first month. This year I hope to help you make your New Year’s resolutions stick.
When you make your New Year’s resolutions consider using the “BE-DO-HAVE” model. (Especially if you have had the same resolution for the past two years and did not keep it!) In order to have the type of life you want (whether that is to be a non-smoking life, a healthier life, a better relationship life) you first have to be that person. Stick with me and I will explain.
The reason most people fail at their New Year’s resolutions is because they never truly decide to be the person they want to become. Since stopping smoking is probably one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, we will use that as an example. Most smokers I know who make that resolution think of themselves as a smoker who has quit. They also keep track of how long it has been since they last smoked versus keeping track of how many days they have been smoke-free.
If you are a non-smoker, then you will always have one or more reasons not to smoke. For example, I do not smoke. My reasons are that I know it will hurt my health and I know it will make my clothes and breath smell bad. If you think of yourself as a smoker who has quit, then in the back of your mind you will always think of what you enjoyed about smoking. Soon enough that enjoyment will seep into your mind and from there it is a slippery slope to failure.
You see, it is all a matter of perspective and thinking. The makers of the largely-popular 2006 documentary, “The Secret,” state that to change your life it all starts with your thinking. According to “The Secret,” our thoughts and feelings attract a corresponding energy to ourselves. If our thoughts are negative, we attract negative things. If our thoughts are positive, we attract positive things. The essential message of the documentary is that we all have the power to determine the trajectory of our life. Through fully and consistently applying the “law of attraction,” we can be who we want to be and have everything we want to have. I cannot say that I believe you will have everything you want, but I do believe your thoughts will greatly impact your reality. To have the life you want (a non-smoking life) you first have to be that person (think the way a non-smoker would think!)
Interesting enough, when people decide they will make a change, the chances are good they will! Research from the March 2006 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research showed that when people predicted they would do a socially good deed (such as recycling), the chances of them actually doing the good deed increased. Obviously, it is not enough just to think of yourself as a non-smoker. You also have to do the things a non-smoker would do. A list of things a non-smoker would do is: not carry a lighter; not take breaks or be around others who are smoking; not buy cigarettes for a friend or family member; etc. If you do the same things and have the same routine you did while you were a smoker, then the temptation is always there for an easy return.
In addition, to ensure your success, make short-term and long-term goals. Reward yourself when you meet them! A short-term goal could look like this – after one month of being smoke-free I will treat myself to a massage! You can change your reward every month to something else you love to do but don’t get to do often. The money you save in cigarettes will pay for it! A long-term goal could be, after one year of being smoke-free I will treat myself to a vacation! Make each milestone a celebration!
Make your New Year’s resolutions work for you! Be the new you and enjoy each goal you hit! Make this resolution a success. This year, once you finally start the New Year’s resolutions, stop thinking of them as your New Year’s resolutions and start thinking of them as the new you. Make this year the best one yet! It all starts with you!
-by Dr. Brandon Crouch
About the Author: Dr. Brandon Crouch is a Chiropractor with Crouch Family Chiropractic. He is an advocate for being proactive when it comes to your health and encourages people to make healthy informed decisions. For more information you can go online at: www.crouchfamilychiro.com or find him on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CrouchFamilyChiropractic.
