So its that time of the year again. Resolution time! I can see all the heads going-Oh no! Not one of those sermons on what to do and what not to do. But I can be gentle and smart and still say a lot of things that necessarily won’t kill but ease one into the New Year!

Here goes – I would like to rather think of this as a way to help people rethink changing their habits, keeping a resolution, and helping maybe to see a dream come true!

Things that usually start bothering people in the New Year are obviously-weight related issues, (how to start losing or clearly how to keep it off), getting more organized, and how to stop worrying and dealing with their stresses, to name a few. The reason people find it so hard to change, is literally because they do not realize that every person has a different formula. It really is about planning, implementing and then tackling successfully.

Somebody once said– ‘You don’t have to be 100% committed, 51% is enough.’

We cannot afford ambivalence in life. Like an alcoholic and smoker would find it super hard to actually even make the decision to quit but, once it is made, he has to definitely see it through and we all realize that all decisions have a price to pay irrespective.

He may or may not really enjoy the outcome of his decision. But there is a price to pay for not changing as well. Hitting rock bottom decides that. Then we realize that a dead end is just a good place to turn around.

Thoughts have been known to actually change destinies, helping us to become who we wish to become. Bridging the gap between where we are and where we finally want to be is a good thing. Most of us get disappointed when we do not reach that space soon enough. What we do not realize here is that what we want is what causes the stability, not having to reach there so much. So we have to be committed in our thought.

Putting out what we desperately want, understanding the truth about where we are at, and then getting into action about it. Life invariably steps it to fill the gap. Sometimes all we need to do is create a vision, then live into that picture that one desires as if it were already true, and see what happens. It feels like our want sets the energy of creation into motion.

Most of us try to unravel the mysteries of life, for example –why people are the way they are. The important thing is to not ask why the person is the way he is, but ask what he will change. When we get stuck in the whys? It is called paralysis by analysis. So rather than getting stuck in the why, it is better to move forward, create possibilities and forward momentum.

When people begin to believe in themselves, it’s the first secret of success. They become remarkable when they realize that they can actually do things. Contemplation and doing are two completely different acts. Too much advice about how to do and what to do can overwhelm even the best of us. Some of us even confuse reading and thinking with actual doing. A joke describes this well:

There are five frogs on a log. One decides to jump off. How many are left? Five. Because deciding was exactly doing!

The secret to change is-one step at a time. A technique called Kaizen, a Japanese strategy for change that relies on tiny continuous improvements. Breaking anything down to small steps ensures success. For people who hate routine, their formula would be to mix it up.

Making a contract, always helps and don’t forget a witness, and a tracking system. Tracking works well in anything, even in a diet. People, who do not track, do not do as well as people who do. Everybody needs some kind of support, and it comes in so many forms.

From taking it from somebody who has been there before you, a partner who will practice with you, a group working on the same thing, a therapist who can help u uncover feelings, and so on and so forth. Support not only motivates, it teaches us and reminds us of what we are trying to achieve.

Support does not necessarily come in the form of people, but from books, music, the net, drives in the car, long walks, inspiring quotes-almost anything that helps you get what you need from your life.

Breaking out of old habits can be strange, but people who change are known to tolerate anxiety better than those who stay stuck. Now that is something to think about. The awkward feeling is a good thing. When we move away from a comfort zone we enter something called a stretch zone.

Stretch is where change occurs. The Stretch Zone keeps the brain healthy, because when we challenge our brains by creating new pathways, we keep it ticking. But moving into the stress zone takes courage.

Time as we all know it is one of our most precious resources. Falling into a ‘no time’ trap is easy; we should start stealing back the time for ourselves and make sure we can have all the things we really want.

Using our imagination helps us reach our goals. Grit is not something that you just have or don’t. It’s a quality one creates, when you make the choice. When one starts practicing self -appreciation everyday, it gives us the strength to go on.

Intention and determination and everything said and done are all wonderful, but they definitely work better with a little wit. Do not take yourself so seriously.

Goals are just dreams with deadlines. Well said! Smart Goals are these-Keeping them specific would mean learning to say no. Measuring our goals is crucial. Realizing that they are achievable is finding out what’s possible. The relevant ones mean simply the ones that matter to us. Time bound ones are the ones that take us to the endpoint. So go ahead and make that smart goal this New Year!

Previously published in the Sindhian