10 Things that Make Your Change Last

The most often mentioned reason for not sticking with New Year´s resolutions is "Not Enough Willpower". As an expert for change I cannot say it often enough: Don´t rely on willpower - nobody should be so harsh to her-/himself. Below is my gift for my readers. You want change - read on and enjoy your long wanted new habits...

10 Things that Make Your Change Last

1. Take a quiet moment in a pleasant environment. Get comfortable, think about what it is you want to change.

2. Envision how it will be after the change has been made, feel the joy of having made that change.
3. Rate your desire to make a change from 0 to 10 (0 being no desire, 10 being highest desire). If you have a number 8 or higher, go for it. If you have a lower number, drop that goal for the time being and find another one with a number 8 or higher. It would not be worth it to put in the effort as chances of succeeding are relatively low.

4. Put your desired change in numbers. Meaning: break down the change in single, doable steps. Make the change measurable (e.g. lose 10 pounds in 2 months, or one clothes size down in 4 weeks, as opposed to wanting to lose weight).

5. Make clear and precise plans on when to do the first step and for how long, what exactly needs to be done, etc. In the above example it could be a 30 minute walk on Mondays and Wednesdays, desserts only on weekends, drinking 2 quarts of water daily.

6 Simply do it. One step at a time.

7. Be prepared for relapses and be kind to yourself. People tend to rely on willpower, which is not a good idea when attempting to make a lasting change. Remember, we are human and have the right to make mistakes. It does not mean you have lost your chance to reach your goal. If your goal is for example weight loss and you had to have your favorite treat after being good for a while, instead of beating yourself up, ENJOY it and then go about your step by step plan towards your goal.

8. Remember that readjustments of single steps and deadlines when to reach the goal are always helpful options if you feel you have an honest reason for it. Going toward a goal slowly will still get you there whereas never trying will get you nowhere. Goals are typically set with high ambition, and not so much on the realistic step by step getting there.

9. Focus on enjoying the single steps and on enjoying the process. Life is truly too short and it’s unnecessary to feel miserable for a single moment. Sentences like “everything that’s healthy tastes bad” or “work must not be pleasurable” might stand in your way to achieving your goals and living a pleasantly balanced life. Personal Life Coaching helps you eliminate any obstacles in your way.

10. Know and continuously remind yourself that you are creating your own life. You get to choose how you want things to be and which goals to reach. The real limits of life, we typically do not even get close to. So there is a huge amount of wiggle room to experiment with and to have FUN with.

11. BONUS: Enjoy your beingness, your bliss, your blessings, your passions, your talents, your livelyness!!