Every Day Is A New Year –Use Today To Make The Changes You Want

BY REX SIKES

If you’re like many people, you want to make some positive changes and create a fresh start. Some people use New Year’s Day to mark a new beginning and make resolutions for the new year. That’s great, but you don’t have to wait for a specific date to make changes in your life. Think of every day as the start of a new year. Today can be the day you decide to move forward, discover new opportunities, and excel in ways you may previously have not. Get it? Make today the day!

You can resolve today to expect the best, be optimistic, and move forward with renewed faith. Remember, every day is a fresh start. That said, you want to keep these promises to yourself and others. You want to develop new habits to live healthier, happier, and wealthier, then include more friends, family, and romance in your life.

How To Start Making Positive Changes

Too many people rush into the gym, eager to begin weightless programs and diets, only to abandon it a few weeks later. This is because old habits die hard UNLESS you know what to do. Here are some tips, principles, and practices to help you keep moving forward positively. First is to understand that there is inertia. That’s the tendency of things to remain the same until acted on by an equal or greater force. When you accept this reality, then you can begin winning. This means that to get going and keep going, you must repeatedly act and apply what you want to think, feel or do for long enough. You want to turn the new behaviors into new permanent, reliable habits. Once you do that, then inertia works for you. A body remains at rest or in motion until an equal or greater force acts on it. Once the new habit forms, it becomes automatic and reliable, like the old habit you replaced.

So here is the secret to making and keeping new habits – whatever you want to do, you must do it correctly, repeatedly, and consistently for a long enough period. How long is long enough? UNTIL it’s a habit. For some, it could be a couple of years, while for others, it may only take six months.

How long does it take to become good at cooking, playing piano, or juggling? How good do you want to be? It’s different for each person, depending on your abilities and mental attitudes, as well as your passion and desire to learn and master new skills.

Second, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Concentrate on one goal or habit at a time. How do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite. Make the new pieces small and manageable enough that you can do them but still large enough that they’re worth doing. Pick a sweet spot - something small enough that makes it easy to do but challenging or large enough to keep it interesting and push you to continue. Remember to make them as enjoyable and exciting as possible.

Another tip is to do what you like because people tend to put off or avoid things they don’t. How much you want something matters! If it can’t hold your interest, there’s a high chance you won’t be doing it for long. It has to be something you really want or need.

Understand this, and you’ll get further faster. Be consistent. Do it regularly. Be persistent. Realize it takes time for your brain to wire in the new habit. It takes time for it to form. Decide you’re in for the long hall. Don’t cheat yourself out of it by setting a time limit on success. Either go all in or don’t go. Maintain a positive outlook. Keep it simple.

Next is consistency. Actors rehearse lines and movements for many weeks and months in order to remember them naturally. They practice and rehearse daily. You must do so as well. Consider what you are doing as rehearsal and keep rehearsing.

Stick with it when it’s easy and even when it’s tough. You get better through consistent rehearsal. Whatever you want to do, think of it as learning to juggle. You will only become better if you keep doing it. You may make mistakes. It may be harder some days than others but stick with it. Learning to juggle means dropping balls. It’s part of learning how not to drop them but juggle them. Understand this, and you will be miles ahead of those who don’t.

Add in other changes you want to make slowly when you are ready. Keep at it. Don’t try to do too much at once. Remember, the past doesn’t matter. No matter how often you have failed before, if you stick with it, you’ll master it. You will develop these new habits in time, so make sure you are practicing the behavior that you want to become automatic and reliable.

Lastly, stop complaining. When you complain, you practice complaining. Don’t reinforce that habit. If you’re like most people, it will serve you to change this behavior.

Decide to stop complaining and make a new habit of remaining positive and optimistic. Manage your mindset! Decide to speak only positively and stop whining, blaming, and making excuses.

Speak what you want. Stop talking about what you don’t want. Make entering the new year you begin today delightful and exciting. Look for the good. Emphasize it. Stay focused on the good and the positive changes you’re discovering and making. Realize that it will happen under your power and direction if it’s to be.

Take charge.

Be a benevolent director of your own thoughts, feelings, speech, and behaviors. Love yourself and reward yourself as you accomplish the tasks, goals, and changes you want to make. Wanting it isn’t enough. It requires doing it. Do you want money, or do you prefer having it? Get it?

Wanting is fine but does nothing by itself. Doing what is necessary, repeatedly, correctly, consistently (and legally) for long enough will wire in the new habit. If you want to learn to juggle, you have to begin juggling. As I said, you’ll drop balls along the way, but that IS part of the process as you continue learning and acquiring the skill.

Soon enough, you will get better. Keep at it, and you’ll get even better. Eventually, you can say you juggle because you do. Get

About the author: Rex Sikes is a Master Trainer of NLP & DHE, A Master Hypnotherapist and Master Hypnotist, an Educator in Whole Brain and Accelerated Learning and the Law of Attraction, as well as the founder of IDEA Seminars. He is also an actor, filmmaker, and consultant to the entertainment industry, as well as a coach for actors, directors, performers, and other speakers. At the same time, Rex is a professional speaker, coach, business consultant, educator, and author. As a speaker, he presents in seminars, public and corporate programs, full workshops, and training events, coaching professionals and newcomers in their fields. He has programs on productivity, diversity, and other topics for business. Rex writes a blog called Daily Inspiration And Gratitude.