I have found writing affirmations much more powerful than making New Year's resolutions. One of my first coaches taught me the value of writing affirmations and, since the year is just beginning, I wanted to share his insight as my New Year's gift to you.

I will never forget the first meeting I had with my first coach, Dr. John Bullaro. I am still grateful to him for all the gifts of learning and the psychological support he gave me. I had hired John not just because he was smart and accomplished, but I knew I needed a coach I could completely trust - someone who could provide non judgmental feedback and practical solutions when I revealed all my faults, insecurities.

On the first day of our coaching work together, John asked me if I wrote affirmations. I looked at him, eyes wide, and asked "What in the world are affirmations?" John's first piece of advice on affirmations was - "Consider carefully want what you write - affirmations are powerful instruments to making your dreams come true." John finished his lesson with a warning: "Be careful what you write, since every affirmation I have written has come true."

I have found writing affirmations improves my focus, time and energy on my priorities - here is how the process works:

1. First of all, divide your list of affirmations into your life categories; for example, home, family, career, relationships, business health, and spirituality.
2. Start with one category at a time and visualize your ideal scenario. One year from now, what do you want this part of your life look like?
3. Now, write the description for that part of your life as if you have already achieved it. For example:
   • Career: I am bringing home $100,000 at the end of the year. (Be as specific as possible; is that 100K before or after taxes?) I am setting daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals against this annual result. I am disciplined in focusing my time and energy on those goals, and I am achieving them. I am meeting unexpected challenges with healthy, fair and unemotional solutions. I am expanding my network and taking the time to build quality relationships with my business partners.
   • Family: I am reserving quality time to spend with my family. I am not answering phones or thinking about anything else but being fully present when I am with them.
   • Health: I am doing a combination of yoga, weight lifting and cardio exercise at least 5 days per week, and I am making healthy food choices. My relationships and social life are balanced and satisfying. (Some people would put this sentence into the family section, but I consider this an aspect of health).
   • Spirituality: I am extending kindness and support to everyone who crosses my path. I am committed to developing a higher, more conscious self.

   These are my examples. You may have as many categories with as many details as you wish; they are your affirmations. The more specific you are in writing your affirmations, the more effective they are.

4. Once you have completed writing your affirmations, it is important to read them every morning and every night before you go to sleep, visualizing each aspect of your rewritten life as if you have achieved everything you wrote. Incorporate these visualizations into your conscious and unconscious self.

In March of 1998, I saw an Oprah show where one of her guests, a successful writer, shared that she found living with beautiful views contributed to her creativity. At the time, I was living in a dark, ugly house in Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley; it was all I could afford. My son, Dan, encouraged me to visualize living in a house with views. So I wrote affirmations that went something like this: "I am living in a house surrounded by views. The views are inspiring me to write, and being surrounded by nature is inspiring my spirituality. I have a lot of land where my dogs can run freely without leashes."

By June of 1998 - less than three months! - I had sold my house in Santa Clara and bought a 5-acre ranch with an octagon-shaped house, with glorious views of mountains and trees on the central coast of California. I have written more in the 5 years I have lived here than in any previous time in my life. I even bought the ranch for less than I sold the ugly dark house in Santa Clara!

New Year's resolutions are often forgotten within weeks. Written affirmations and their accompanying visualizations are so much more powerful. I encourage you to take some time and write affirmations for yourself today. Visualize where you want to be, and you'll soon be surprised to discover you are already there.

What are your experiences with affirmations or resolutions? What techniques have helped you move forward more successfully? Please share them with me so I can post them on witi.com!

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