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©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
alicia eaton’s
Top 5 Tips
How NOT to be
a failure in 2013
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:
THE TOP 5 REASONS FOR FAILING
REASONS WHY PEOPLE FAIL
Don’t be one of them!
The very last thing the majority of us will do in 2012 is make
a New Year Resolution. And the very first thing most of us
will do in 2013 is go ahead and break it!
Propelled into action by the waves of optimism generated by
friends, family and the abundance of ‘New Year, New You’ articles,
too many of us quickly find our enthusiasm waning by the second
week of January.
With many psychologists now telling us that New Year Resolutions
are ‘doomed to failure’, it’s not surprising that some of us will be
wondering whether there’s any point in even bothering.
But what is it that actually holds us back from being successful?
After all, we’re not stupid - the majority of us have experienced
success at some point or another – be it gaining a promotion,
achievements in the classroom or on the sports field and creating
homes and families - so we know we’re perfectly capable of
making a go of things.
Why exactly is it that when it comes to ‘that time of year’, most of
us set targets only to fall spectacularly quickly at the first hurdle?
Research shows that these are the top 5 reasons why most people
fail –make sure you don’t fall into the same trap.
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
Mistake No. 1 – They forget what their resolutions are.
Seriously! Test yourself if you don’t believe me. Can you really
remember all the resolutions that you made last year? And not
only the ‘lose weight/get fit/quit smoking’ ones you told your family
about but also those quiet, private ones you made to yourself.
What did you tell yourself, honestly?
Most of us make our Resolutions in a last minute hurry on
December 31st, in a drunken embrace just before the clock strikes
midnight.
It doesn’t seem to matter whether we promise to climb Mount
Everest; take up charity work; learn a foreign language; seek out
old friends; take up baking; put finances in order or pick an old
favourite like lose weight and get fit. Come the 2nd week of January
we’ll be scratching our heads to remember what it was we wanted
to achieve – never mind, the 2nd week of February.
This is the first mistake, for how we make those Resolutions will
already mean the diference between success and failure. Take the
time to write everything down in a special notebook.
And by the way, it’s OK to change your mind along the way. You
might find that you come up with a completely brilliant idea in the
3rd week of January and can delete a few of your earlier thoughts.
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
Mistake No. 2 – They focus on what they don’t want.
This is an easy mistake to make for most of us find it easier to
identify what we don’t like about our lives, rather than focusing on
what we do want.
So very quickly:
“I want to be slimmer” becomes “I just want to stop feeling so fat”
“I want to get fit” becomes “I’m fed up of feeling out of condition”
“I want to go to evening classes” becomes “I don’t want to spend
my life cooped up indoors”.
Does this matter? Well yes, it matters a great deal. As we think
and speak, our minds make mini pictures out of the words we use
and almost as if we’re operating on auto-pilot, we’ll find ourselves
being magnetically drawn to those negative pictures – i.e. precisely
what we don’t want in our lives, rather than what we do.
Always phrase your Resolutions in the ‘positive’ for a positive
outcome.
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
Mistake No. 3 – Their resolutions are far too vague.
Vague resolutions such as “I want to get fit”, “I want to see the
world and travel” or “I want to take up a new hobby” make it harder
for you to get started. What exactly are you hoping to achieve and
where are you supposed to begin?
And, the longer you take to get started, the less likely you are to
start at all. Trust me, as soon as there’s a whiff of failure, you’ll
quickly push the idea to the back of your mind, because let’s face
it; no one likes to be reminded of their shortcomings.
Be very specific about what it is you’re aiming for. So, if you want
to lose weight, then exactly how much do you want to lose and
by when? Is there a specific reason for losing weight? Be sure to
include all this information:
“I want to lose a stone in weight and be a size 12 in time for my
summer holiday in July”.
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
Mistake No. 4 – They fail to consider the HOW part.
Having established what they’d like to achieve, most people fail to
think about the kind of resources they’ll need to achieve their goal.
Identify all the resources you’ll need in advance - what will you
need to get you started and what will you need further down the
line? Have you ever done this before? Is there more than one way
to achieve this outcome? Which way will be best for you? What’s
your first step going to be? And then the next?
And if you don’t know, simply ASK. Do some research on the
internet, consult a professional, phone a friend or even better, find
someone who has already achieved what you’re aiming for and
pick their brains.
Mistake No. 5 – Self-sabotage
Many of us self-sabotage our goals, because we suddenly find that
we don’t truly want to achieve them. Quite simply, we made the
wrong choice and this is especially true for New Year resolutions
that are made on the spur of the moment.
Take the time to consider your resolutions – will a successful
outcome actually fit in with your life and personal values? Is your
resolution meaningful for you? Think carefully about how your
goal will impact others around you. Would you really want that
promotion if it meant travelling away from home for weeks at a time
and being separated from your loved ones?
Think carefully about whether you stand to lose anything in your
life as a result of achieving this goal. Asking yourself questions
such as “When don’t I want this outcome?” will help you to set
appropriate boundaries for yourself.
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012
Alicia Eaton is a Clinical Hypnotherapist
and NLP Practitioner based in London’s Harley Street.
You can read more about her strategies
for success in her latest book:
“Fix Your Life…with NLP”.
Download a FREE chapter at
www.aliciaeaton.co.uk
Alicia Eaton
10 Harley Street
London
W1G 9PF
For a consultation please call
020 467 1512
Or email the office on
[email protected]
©Alicia Eaton www.aliciaeaton.co.uk All rights reserved 2012