There are only a few short days until the end of 2014

There are only a few short days until the end of 2014! For some of us, we may be ready for the new-year as we anticipate the possibility of new dreams, new goals and a fresh slate for 2015. For others, we may look back at 2014 as another year that we didn’t accomplish our dreams or reach our goals. Another year of disappointment in ourselves and our lives.

The good news?! We have those few short days until the end of 2014! It isn’t too late to end this year feeling good about ourselves and our lives. While January 1st is always a good time for reflection and a new beginning, why don’t we give ourselves a 56 day head start and begin a fresh start today?

Step 1 - Acknowledgment

As Dr. Phil says, “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge”. This step requires an honest look at what we have allowed to stand in the way of reaching our goals. It is always easiest to look at the part that others played in keeping us from begin successful. In order for real change to occur, we have to look at ourselves first to discover our own responsibility in the direction of our lives.

This is always the hardest step for me because I feel like a failure when I begin to look at my own personal responsibility in my life. What I am beginning to understand is that life is full of lessons. Just because I acknowledge my responsibility in my own life doesn’t mean I’m a failure. It just means that I have other strengths or passions. At this point, I have a choice. I can choose to continue in a pattern of perceived failure or I can re-group and look at the real reason I have not been successful and take a new direction. There will be consequences whether financial or personal. However the realization that I am in charge of my own life can be powerful and freeing!

Step 2 Change Behavior

“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got” – Henry Ford. As I tell my clients, looking back at your behaviors should not be a time to pass judgment on yourself. We cannot change the past but we can learn from it. What can we do differently this time that may result in a better outcome?

The quote from Henry Ford has become my mantra. If something has not worked for me in the past, continuing to try it over and over again with the hopes of getting a different result leaves me feeling like a failure over and over again. I can now look at my result and take from it the good and the bad. I take the good and apply it into a new process. Each time I try a new plan, I become closer to achieving my goal.

Step 3 - Control

Acknowledge what you have control over and set your goals appropriately. I don’t have control over what someone else does, how fast my body reacts to the changes I make, the traffic, the weather or the economy.

I cannot make my weight loss goal dependent on what my friend or spouse will do to help me. They may or may not be able to support me in the changes I am making. I have to make the decision to do things differently for myself with or without their support. It actually makes things much less stressful because I no longer have to depend on any one but myself to change. That is something I have control over!

My latest weight loss group has been a true testament to doing things differently and having success. Our primary focus has been on understanding our patterns and mind set to change our health forever. Most of us know we need to eat better and exercise more in order to become healthier. We have tried plan after plan with limited success. Yes, eating and exercise are part of the plan but without learning what our strengths and weaknesses are and what is realistic we cannot begin to make permanent changes in our overall health. If you are interested in ending 2014 with a feeling of success in changing your health, please join me in our new group which will be starting Tuesday, November 11th at 7pm. We will meet weekly through the end of 2014. Why wait until January 1st when you can begin today?