Great Solutions for New Year’s Resolutions!

With 2013 behind us, many of us have already begun to adhere to our 2014 resolutions that we set for the year. Every year, when it comes to resolution time I hesitate, because I don't want to create some lofty goals that will set me up for disappointment. This year I made sure to set very realistic resolutions and then put them out there in the world to put a little added pressure on myself. My resolutions for the year are to the left. Because resolution making and seeing it through can be scary I jumped on the opportunity to ask Sterling, a popular life coach, what her thoughts were on how to set resolutions that actually had a chance of going the distance. I came up with five questions that I wanted her feedback on, questions that I was mulling over during the creation of my list. In her guest article below you will find her answers to my questions. Hopefully it will help give you the confidence you need to keep up with your resolutions as well! 

Enjoy the following post, Great Solutions for New Year’s Resolutions!, by The Savvy Brunette Guest Blogger and Life Coach, Sterling.

Right now, it's an exciting time to create New Year’s resolutions, right? Maybe yours include aerobic exercising, engaging socially with friends, attending an art class, helping others or simply taking more time out for you! It can also be a confronting time when we think about our past, unrealized New Year's resolutions. How do we fulfill on these important resolutions? I've created some easy key steps to keep your New Year's resolutions right on track!  

1. How do you push past the fear of failing, based on past unfulfilled resolutions?
Declare that this is a New Year out loud and that the past is something that happened in the past. Declare that you live the present moment and draw inspiration from your intended and, importantly, created future.

2. How do you set realistic New Year’s resolutions?

Choose resolutions that feel right for you right now – in the immediate future. What resolutions feel more inspiring and less daunting? Start with those. Who says you can’t create more complex resolutions along the way? You can. Stick with smaller, more realistic resolutions and go from there. There will be greater opportunities to add to your resolutions along the way, as you grow more confident completing the initial ones that you create. It doesn’t have to be a new year to create your life.  It’s always a good time to keep evolving and growing in your life.

3. How do we continue to push forward when we aren't accomplishing our resolutions right way?

Allow yourself to have infinite patience. Sounds like a contradiction in the modern, fast-paced world, right? It is. Our typical impulse is to push ahead in order to cause intended results faster, but this actually pushes our results away. The reality is that if we can allow infinite patience in our lives, we actually accelerate the process of receiving intended results.

A really good way to help our New Year’s resolutions come to life quicker is by making some seemingly insignificant changes along the way. Throw out old, outmoded things and replace with the new, like: take a new route to work, listen to new music, trade your old look for a new one, meet new people, create a day of adventure or go to an exciting new museum exhibition. Change helps facilitate important new turns in your life and any change, no matter how small, can make your New Year’s resolution come to fruition more easily and faster.

4. How do you learn to celebrate your progress and not just the final result?

There is something to celebrate just by simply choosing our New Year’s resolutions. This is the first step towards success. Realizing this is not only encouraging, but gives you a boost of confidence, knowing that your New Year’s resolution is beginning! Also, it always helps to be kind to you by creating a healthy reward for keeping on the path. Go get a massage, go out to the movies, buy theater tickets, take an overnight trip or buy a piece of new clothing to ring in the new season!

5. What is the key to create resolution making as a great kick-off to the New Year, versus something full of pressure?

Take bite-sized action. Commit yourself to your New Year’s resolutions for just one month if you feel overwhelmed with the big-picture commitment that you’ve made. After one month, determine whether you’d like to take on another month of engaging in your resolutions. Repeat this action. It’s a little trick that we can play on ourselves because it takes approximately 21 days for change to occur, that is, for something to become more habitual and second nature. By the time a month is over, chances are, you’ve acclimated to your new lifestyle. Then, slipping back into your old ways may prove to be harder than you think! Also, remember that consistency is the key. If we can be consistent for a period of time, then the rest is easy. Plus, the headway that we make and the results that we experience are enough to strengthen our commitment – for good.

About Sterling

Sterling has gathered over 20 years of extraordinary experience in the fields of life coaching, psychology and astrology. She formally studied psychology in Dallas, and between 1998-2003, studied advanced personal development at the famed Landmark Education Center in Los Angeles. In 1998, she began her professional career as an astrologer, tarot card reader and life coach. Sterling then developed her unique Art of Manifestation © life coaching program for clients to create and experience outstanding lives. Today, she offers all of her services at Intuitive Life By Sterling, her spiritual life coaching practice in West Hollywood, California and through online, telephone and Skype appointments. Ultimately, Sterling provides caring and passionate guidance, leading clients to fulfilling the amazing lives that they've always intended.

To book an appointment with Sterling today, go to: www.intuitivelifebysterling.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.