1. Pump Up The Passion

If accomplishing your New Year’s Resolution seems like a lot of work that doesn’t give you a lot of benefit, you’ll fail. Your reward has to outweigh the challenges.

What is it about your resolution that really jazzes you? For instance, why do you want a promotion? If you want it because it will give you more money or power, in what specific ways will money or power make your life better, happier or more satisfying? List the benefits and keep adding to them. Make the end result so incredibly attractive that you’ll keep going when the going gets tough – and it will.

2. Know Your Patterns

Unconscious habits group together into patterns, which grow into the lifestyles that either support or sabotage our victories. We all have them, and we know them. Once we name them, we can strengthen the good ones and change the bad ones. For example, intuition is an ability that is invaluable both at home and at work; it can be strengthened through meditation. Typical sabotaging patterns include:

• Negative self-talk (I’m so dumb)
• Need for Instant Gratification (it’ll take 3 years to finish my degree... I don’t want to wait that long)
• Denial (I kept hoping if I ignored the problem, it would go away)
• Lack of effective planning (I didn’t even think that could happen) and
• Distractions (I got too involved with my son’s science project)

3. Avoid Toxic People

Some people have a vested interest in keeping you the way you are. If you change, they’ll have to do the same – and they probably like things just the way they are. To avoid having to change, they will do and say things that will cause you to feel bad about yourself, such as using guilt or demeaning barbs, to keep you “in your place” – which means the one that makes them feel comfortable.

You may not be able to totally avoid these people (like if they are your siblings or coworkers). However, you can minimize your contact with them and also, be emotionally prepared for them. Boost your positive self-talk in advance (I deserve to be well-treated by others) and practice phrases that will deflect their efforts (thanks for your opinion; I’ll take it under consideration).