Gramma Gaga

For many of us January is a long, dark, cold month. We make New Year’s resolutions and convince ourselves that this time, we will not fail. While we have the best intentions, most of us will give up, or give in somewhere along the way. In an effort to reinvent ourselves, we begin with false hope by setting goals that are unclear, unrealistic, and unreachable.

This year, as I plan the final stages of completing my forthcoming book, Wine Within Your Comfort Zone, I have a new and improved outlook for January that includes every month of the year.

Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution: FIVE EASY STEPS!

1. Choose ONE specific goal.

2. Clarify your goal by writing it down and read it out loud every day.

3. Create new routines, ways of thinking, and activities that support your goal.

4. Be mindful of how you feel intuitively, physically, mentally, and most important, emotionally, as you journey toward your goal.

5. Baby step your way, setting a new specific goal beyond January, and throughout the year.

Resolution is about taking a course of action. Creating a plan of action, and sticking to it can help you reach your goal. When you are presented with obstacles and challenges, your action plan will rescue you.

Putting the FIVE EASY STEPS  in context, let’s say I decided to quit drinking coffee – my plan of action might look like this:

1. My goal is to quit drinking coffee.

2. I will no longer drink coffee when I get up each morning, or any other time of day or night.

3. My new morning routine could include meditation, visualization, yoga or a work out where I would usually have coffee. I could also plan to replace the coffee with herbal teas, and/or warm lemon water.

4. Being mindful of how my body responds when it doesn’t get its morning infusion of caffeine confronts the craving head on. By allowing the craving to pass through me I am releasing its power over me.

5. By taking one small step each day, and thinking in the moment, I will be less likely to give in. Once I feel I’ve accomplished my goal, I’ll be better able to set, and reach other new goals throughout the year.

Celebrate each and every success, big or small, along the way. If you slip up, get up, and keep going without looking back. Have fun with your resolution, and remember to take time to laugh out loud.

I’m excited to get started on my resolution. My plan of action is in place, ready to implement, making it much easier to get through the long, dark, cold month of January.

However, I’m not giving up my morning cup of coffee!

Happy New Year!

Homemade Ginger Tea

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/morerecipes/r/GingerTea.htm

Warm Regards,

Marla O’Brien