One of the top three resolutions people make every year is the one about weight loss. There are reasons why we fail at this one, reasons that relate back to breaking habits and mindset. If, after you make a resolution to lose weight, you find yourself falling back into poor eating habits…don’t give up. Remember, it takes 21 days to break a habit and often if you stick with your goals and desires it will lead to success. (Pullman, I Want My Body Back, 2019) Some of the reasons we fail at our resolutions include trying to make a big change all at once. Instead of trying to lose weight by changing the way you eat, changing the way you exercise, and changing the way you think about your body, try setting a few smaller goals. If you work on the smaller habit changes, like cutting one or two unhealthy items from your diet instead of changing your entire diet, walking a few minutes every day instead of jumping into a rigorous jogging routine, and imagining yourself one size smaller instead of a long range of many sizes smaller, you will start to see success. The more you succeed, the more you will be motivated to succeed. Sometimes your weight loss goal is too big. It will seem impossible and will be easy to give up on. This is where your mind set comes into play. If you set a goal to loose 75 lbs. in 2021, you might become discouraged when you see your weight loss at only a pound or two in the first few weeks. Instead of looking at that seemingly impossible goal at the end, focus on loosing one pound. Then another. Then another. Going back to the idea of forming a new habit, know that just setting a goal is not going to get the results you want. Don’t focus on the goal, but instead focus on the ritual or habit(s) you need to develop in order to achieve the results. Better rituals will result in better habits. Rituals are what turn behaviors into habits. According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, a Ritual, when used as a noun, is defined as an act or series regularly repeated in a set precise manner. (Ritual, n.d.) And it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. Create your rituals to break bad habits and create new habits and follow them for at least 21 days. 2021 can be so much better than 2020 has been – as long as you approach the new year with a positive attitude and a mindset of success! Happy New Year!
References Pullman, A. (2019). I Want My Body Back. Independently Published. Ritual. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mirriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ritual
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“Creativity is the flow of giving to help others.” (Pullman, Cool and Relaxed Life, 2018). This year gifting is taking on a new meaning. Many are suffering due to loss of income because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only that, but lives are being lost on a daily basis and many may not be feeling the holiday spirit this year. One thing we can do to help lessen the stress of the holidays during a pandemic is to think about the gifts we can give, and how to give those gifts. As most of us will not be gathering in large groups this holiday season, we can concentrate on more personal, creative gift-giving options. Something given from the heart is sure to be unique. Sharing your positive flow of creativity with your family and friends during these trying times will give you a sense of control over at least a part of your life. In my book, A Cool and Relaxed Life, I explore the idea of creativity and how we can allow our inner creativity guide us in our relationships, making them more positive and fulfilling. We don’t need to give expensive gifts in order to show our loved ones they are loved and appreciated. We are the source of everything. The way to produce the best of creativity is to allow the creativity to flow from inside. When we work on ourselves, we grow and evolve from inside, and allow the things to flow through us. Creativity is an idea, a thought or an imagination, that continuously flows through our mind, and expand over the time, to become the full-fledged reality on the existence. In order to fully understand and utilize our own inner creativity, we must first give to ourselves. According to Michelle Pemberton, a writer for the Journal-Advocate website, there are things you can do to help yourself cope:
The whole idea is to stay connected with family and friends, even though we cannot be together in person. The greatest gift you can give is yourself, even if it is through the magic of technology. References
Pemberton, M. (2020, December 10). Caring for yourself during the holidays. Retrieved from Journal-Advocate: https://www.journal-advocate.com/2020/12/10/caring-for-yourself-during-the-holidays/ Pullman, A. (2018). Cool and Relaxed Life. Independently Published. https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Relaxed-LIFE-Audrey-Pullman/dp/1647490758/ |
AuthorI am a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a background in Emergency Psychiatric Medicine and Community Addiction. Archives
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