“This year is going to be the year!” Bryan excitedly announced to his family and friends. “This year I am going to get fit and healthy. This time next year I will be a new man, a better man.”
Bryan declared this bold New Year’s resolution as he watched the clock strike twelve – heralding the start of a new year, and a new goal.
Bryan was determined. This year, he was going to make the change he knew he needed to make. He needed to lose weight, eat healthier, get fit, and not let work dominate his every waking thought.
Yes, this year was going to be different. This year he was going to make himself a priority. He was going to look after himself and do things to improve his body and mind. For starters, he made a commitment to exercise every single day.
So he started off Day 1 of his New Year’s resolution. Bryan’s motivation was high as he put on his workout clothes to go for a two-hour walk along the beach. He was energetic and full of high hopes as he embarked on his resolution.
Day 2 saw Bryan with a little less enthusiasm, but he was still determined as once again he prepared himself for his two-hour walk along the beach. He felt happy that he was keeping the promise that he had made to himself and others.
Day 3 was not a good day. It took Bryan a great deal of effort to get going. It was a chore to get out of bed, put on his walking attire, and get moving. His mind and body were screaming out in pain – his body was fatigued and work commitments were starting to mount. With so much negative self-dialogue going on inside, it was not long before Bryan’s resolve weakened and he decided to could only manage to walk half the distance in half the time.
Day 4 was a complete no show. It was raining, and his work commitments were pressing. There was no internal dialogue and negotiations needed today. Bryan made the executive decision – no walking today. He reconciled with himself that the weather was bad, there was just too much work, and he did not have “enough time.”
With that decision, Bryan’s New Year’s resolution came to an end.
Each year, many of us make a New Year’s resolution, something we would like to change about ourselves and our life. And many of us fail to keep that resolution, giving up after a few days, a few weeks, or a few months, without ever reaching our goal.
Studies have shown that approximately 10 per cent of individuals actually keep their New Year’s resolution. One of the main limiting factors is the internal battle between doing what you want to do (e.g., your old habits and stories) and what you should do (e.g, the resolution you made to yourself).
We believe that we have the mental willpower to see our resolution through, but we forget that it is our unconscious mind making the decisions.
To effect change, we need to change our story. To see our goal as already achieved, to experience what it feels like, and to repeat this until it becomes part of our identity.
So today’s challenge is to imagine what your goal looks like already achieved. Picture it in your mind’s eye, see how proud you are, how good it makes you feel. See it and feel it in all its detail. Then take a few moments to draw (in colour pencils, paints, or inks) the scene of the picture in your mind. Do not worry about your artistic skills, for it is the process of creating this mental image that is important. Then put this drawing in a prominent place where you can see and reflect on it often.
Start today and shape your mind and thoughts to create your reality.
Deborah Ruth
Storyteller
