New Year, New You...

It is officially a New Year filled with new energy and hope for 2011. Many of us made New Year's resolutions, but unfortunately the statistics show that 90% will never succeed past 2 weeks. How is that possible when we are so determined and hopeful that 'this year will be different', the statistics are so dismal?

Most resolutions include: losing weight, eating better, quitting smoking and making more money or debt management. All of these require not only an action to change, but a specific behavior needs to be altered every single day. A good intention is great but for it to stick consistent action is required to make the change. This is why diets don't work.

To lose weight, most of us opt for a diet. A diet requires us to alter our eating habits for a period of time until the desired weight loss is attained. The key here is: for a period of time. This may not seem like much but it means everything to a mind that is addicted to eating a certain way, because it 'knows" that the period of time will end and it can resume it's previous habits again. This is what got us the weight gain in the first place. So why go there?

This is also true for quitting smoking, or drinking, or whatever other vice has got us. If you are a chronic smoker or alcoholic, there is no 'social' smoking or drinking. You have to first make the decision to alter your behavior for good or it won't stick. I quit smoking twice to learn that lesson, and it has been almost 10 years since I had a cigarette so I know this is true.

Everything in moderation has been the recommendation, but I disagree. If you want to lose weight there is a specific calculation that you need to burn more calories than you consume. If you want to save money, you need to stop spending. If you want to quit smoking, you need to just stop. At some point along the journey of wanting to change, you need to take action and make it, even if it's uncomfortable. All change is uncomfortable but that's how we grow. You are the one in control of what goes into your body, your lungs, and your wallet.

Here's the key to do it successfully: Don't worry about forever, just choose to do the new behavior today and then choose to do it again tomorrow. What you do everyday matters more than what you do once in a while. By doing a little bit each day, you will get a lot accomplished and reach your goals much faster. I've heard that the best way to break a habit is to create a new one. As you take small consistent steps each day, you are doing just that whether your habit was overeating or overspending.

What if you're not trying to change a behavior but create a new one? Maybe you have a dream that has yet to be fulfilled, a book inside you waiting to be written, an adventure you've always wanted to take? The steps are the same, first decide, then commit to taking action towards it daily. Nothing happens by just thinking about it. Imagine if the pyramids remained someone's dream, or any great works of art, books, Google? These all started as an idea, but it took action to make them real, and so can you. You know as much as most people, and everyday people create great things everyday.


Someone gave you life, now you have the opportunity to give birth to yourself. To become the person you were always meant to be and live the life you were meant to have. It's all about choice: to live in fear of change and live how you have; or to feel the fear and do it anyways opening to the possibilities that await you. This can be your year! The choice is yours.