At the end of every year, it seems that we start planning for all that we want to accomplish in the coming year.  At some point, around February or so, we often realize that we’ve already lost our motivation to keep our new habits in place.  Why is this and what can you do to create lasting change in 2012?

There are 3 keys elements that are often missing when we try to make big change in our life – the right system, support, and accountability.  With these in place, your chances for following through increase significantly.  I’ll tell you a little bit about each and how they can help you follow through for real in 2012.

• The Right System  — When it comes to anything in life, whether it’s keeping your house clean, changing your eating habits, or getting into an exercise routine, the right system is crucial.  We are all so different and our bodies have different needs so the same system won’t work for all of us equally.  Have you ever noticed that two people may try the exact same diet but get completely different results?  Or have you failed to get yourself to the gym regularly, but once you checked out that yoga class and got hooked, you found a regular exercise routine that worked for you?  Finding someone who has a system that is tailored to your needs will help you much more than wasting time sifting through books looking for which “solution” to try next.  If it’s the proper fit for you, you will enjoy the process and feel more motivation to follow through on your goals. 

• Support – It’s always nice to feel supported in the things you do, but it is actually more than nice – it plays an important role in your ability to stay focused.  When you feel confident that you are going about things in a way that is right for you, having others recognize that and helping you to create space to make it happen makes the entire process less stressful.  Having someone who can guide you and offer you resources and advice as you need it also reminds you that you’re not going at it alone.  Feeling supported in your goals also helps you to follow through with more ease because you have help to make your plans seem do-able instead of pie-in-the-sky promises that you know you’ve broken to yourself in the past.

• Accountability – If no one knows that you want to lose 10 pounds, eat more fresh foods or cut down on sugar, it will be much more difficult to get it done.  If you set a goal to try a new food each week, or cut down on dessert and no one knows, it gives you free range to “cheat” or fall off the wagon.  This often leads to guilt and feeling out of control of your own life.  Simply by having someone to hold you accountable, you will feel more drive to stick to your plans.  You’ll want to be able to brag about how well you did with eating greens, and you might be pushed to take it beyond your original goals – not only did you eat greens 3 times a week like you aimed for, you did it 5 times and it felt so easy!  Reaching or exceeding your goals and being able to share that with someone increases self-esteem and will make the path to change feel even easier.

Do you see how having the Right System, Support, and Accountability can make the idea of new years resolutions seem so much more manageable?  Let’s chat to see if I can give you the support you’re looking for.  If it feels like a good fit, I promise you’ll get support and accountability from me, and you’ll follow through like never before, and feel amazing about the entire process!

Peace, Love, and Wellness,

Xandra