Stick to Your Guns

Resolving to Keep My Resolutions
The NLP SMART goal setting technique can provide a great starting place for your new year’s resolutions. Once you have run it through this system, you should have all the information you need to get you exactly what you want!
As a taster, try cross referencing your goal against the SMART criteria here:
S- Simple and specific. Your goal should be stated as simply as possible. If you write out the details of your goal you will be more likely to remember it and stick to it. A bit like when you do your supermarket shopping, you are more likely to remember what you are supposed to be getting and stick to your list if you have written it down- even if you forget to take the list with you. You should also make your goal as simple to achieve as possible as the unconscious mind will always follow the path of least effort. If faced with a choice of “do this it’s really complicated and difficult” or “do nothing” you can guess what your subconscious will support you in doing. In the same way, it will be easier for your mind to stick to specific elements of your goal that you need to bring to fruition rather than a random set of ideas that you might achieve maybe, one day.
M- Meaningful and measurable. The goals or resolutions you set for yourself should be meaningful to you, not something that someone else wants you to achieve or something you think you should achieve but something that you really want. There should also be a way to measure the difference between where you are currently and where you will be/what will be different once you have achieved your goal.
A- Achievable and act as if. Your goal must be achievable. For example, if you goal is to lose 4 stone, question whether this is something that is possible for you to achieve. On the face of it, it probably reads as if that is achievable, but for someone who wants to do so whilst eating junk food and not doing any exercise, then it probably is not achievable. Acting as if is all about getting yourself into the positive state you would be feeling if you had already achieved your goal. Doing this helps you to feel more motivated to continue with your goal as well as sending out a clear signal to the universe to say that you are ready to live your life in the way you will once your goal is achieved.
R- Realistic and ecological. If your goal is unrealistic you will struggle to make it a success. It may be that there are just certain elements of you goal that you need to adjust in order to make it a success. For example, you may need to adjust the time period in which you wish to achieve your goal to make it more realistic. When your goal is also ecological, it will be supported by your environment and wider system. A good way to assess whether something is ecological is to ask the following 3 questions. You should get a yes answer to all 3 questions in order for it to be ecological.
Is it good for me?Is it good for others?Is it good for the greater good?T- Timed and toward. You should always set a date by which you want to have achieved your goal. It is important that your date is realistic and that you write it as a set date in the future instead of “in one year’s time” which in one year’s time will still be a year away. Instead you would write “by January 2010. You should always state your goal or resolution as something that you want to move toward instead of something you want to move away from. That means state it in the positive.
Remember that a goal is different to an emotional state. So if your goal is to feel happy, know that you can do this already you just need to learn the techniques to know how. The People Building podcast is filled with NLP hints and tips that can help you to achieve a better state on a consistent basis. You can get it for free, here: http://peoplebuilding.mypodcast.com/rss.xml
The NLP Keys to achievable outcomes are taught as part of our NLP Practitioner training programme. You can get the audio cd’s and training manual with all the info to complete your accredited practitioner training here: http://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/pracmanual.htm
Hypnosis can be a great way to keep your mind focused on your goal, and the more specific to your goal that the hypnosis session is, the more it will appeal to your own unconscious mind. People Building can write, and record a personal hypnosis audio for you or you might find the hypnosis audio that suits your goal here: http://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk/hypnosis-scripts.htm
Assess how your goal is impacting on each area of your life by completing a wheel of life or by completing our Quality of Life questionnaire. We will provide helpful hints and tips to your questionnaire responses as well as offering competitive rates on life coaching to help you stay on track with your new year’s resolutions.
With all of these resources available from People Building, you’re bound to succeed.