For many, it’s the same thing every year. The brilliant idea to improve your life for the better slowly turns to a nagging thought, dissolves into a series of “woulda, shoulda, coulda” excuses, and then fades from memory - until next year when it happens all over again.
But why? Why are New Year’s resolutions so hard to keep? The answer depends on the resolution, the timing, and the amount of negative subconscious programming standing in your way.
The fact is not all resolutions are equal to others. The wording of your resolution matters. The resolution, “I want to get in shape,” for example, is far too vague. What does "get in shape" mean? Does it mean to lose weight? To strengthen your core? To walk a mile a day? To expand your lung capacity? In this case, it's a good idea to assess your goals, perhaps with a doctor or a trainer, and maybe even prioritize them. For example, would it be better to lose weight first or build muscle? If the goal is to lose weight, how much weight? And over how long a period of time? Once you have set goals, then you can make a plan. Perhaps you need to choose a diet or an exercise regime. Perhaps you need to look into the time involved or budgeting for equipment, food or a trainer.
The point is that the more specific the goal - the more realistic and attainable - the easier it will be to achieve. So, sit with your resolution and picture it. Know what you really want before setting out to do it. in writing out the resolution, choose words which reflect the vision. The resolution should also evoke positive emotions. If the idea of losing weight, for example, feels like a burden, then either it’s not the right time, the right goal, or there’s a negative belief system sabotaging the effort
Another obstacle for keeping a New Year's resolution is proper timing. For example, it's more difficult to walk a couple of miles a day in the middle of winter. If the goal is to be outside and use your body in a healthy way, winter is a much more difficult time to start. Starting when the weather is nicer would be a lot easier, and ideally, by the time the next winter comes around, you are in a habit of walking, and all you need is the proper clothes. Or perhaps a resolution might be to finish your education. Since most schools do admissions in the fall, making that intention in January puts a lot of time between your intention and your action. Too much time might be a temptation to redirect funds or become discouraged in going forward. In any case, part of a goal being reasonable is scheduling it into a time when the goal becomes easier to achieve.
Negative subconscious programming basically means ideas or beliefs that were excepted or decided in the course of your life and which now impede your progress in achieving the goal. As followers of this blog know, the subconscious mind accounts for 95% of the mind’s activities. This is because the subconscious mind, as the seat of memory and emotion, is in charge of interpretation. Basically, we don't take action unless we are motivated to do so.
Yet, not every belief, memory or decision stored in the subconscious mind is accurate or useful. So not every decision is based on sound interpretation of the facts. If you set out to implement your New Year's resolution and observe yourself sabotaging the activity, you are likely a victim of your own negative subconscious programming. For example, you have the very clear and reasonable goal to walk 1 mile every every day. You know exactly when in the day you're going to do it. The weather is fine, and you own the appropriate shoes and clothes. However, when the moment comes to actually walk, for no discernible reason, you become weighed down with fatigue. You feel so tired that you decide to energize yourself with some ice cream. You open the refrigerator, taste a few spoonsful, and half an hour later, discover that you have finished a pint without consciously knowing you were doing it.
If this scenario sounds even vaguely familiar, then hypnotherapy could be a solution to fulfilling your goals. I like to say that hypnosis works best for people who know they're in their own way. The trick is to discover how and why you are in your way and create a new belief system that supports your intentions. In hypnosis, we can not only reverse limiting beliefs, but we can also reverse core motivations and neutralize the relationship to past events that subliminally control our actions. In the scenario above, our wannabe walker could have myriad reasons for dodging exercise – everything from a belief that he or she is undeserving of good health to a fear of being noticed in public. Whatever reason will be completely unique to the client and that's why working with a hypnotherapist tends to be more productive than, say, listening to self-help recordings at home. Memories are always unique and the interpretations of what they mean even more so. Session by session you can create a new relationship with the future by changing your relationship to the past and developing new behaviors and beliefs in the present.
A hypnotherapist can help you navigate every aspect of the resolution process, from making sure the goal is clear, reasonable, and achievable to planning the timing to making sure the pathway forward is free from subconscious booby traps. It’s a terrific way to start the new year.
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