After saying goodbye to 2018 and welcoming the new year, I'm wondering if you're anything like me? In the past I've set exciting resolutions that pulled me into action. I didn't need motivation because the desired outcome was enough for me to keep pursuing the required actions. Unfortunately, over time I lost sight of the goal because I was burned out or I allowed life circumstances to dictate how I spent my time. If you've had similar experiences here are 5 steps to setting effective resolutions you won't give up on.

Find Clarity

Whether you need to set goals for your health, wealth, relationships, happiness, or spiritual connection it all starts with your vision. If a pilot didn't have an end destination he would be flying aimlessly and would have no idea where he was going to land. Be specific. I want to be healthier is too general. What will you gain from being healthier? How do you want to do it? Do you want to lose weight? Stop smoking? Exercise more?

Find Your WHY

Your why is your passion and the reason you will keep going when you want to give up. It will make you realize that remaining where you are would be more painful than stepping into the life you've been dreaming about. Post your why somewhere you will see it everyday.

Create an Action Plan Our life is designed by mental patterns. In order to develop a new habit a detailed plan is necessary for success. It creates a blueprint for new decisions to be made that will lead to a new destination. It's important to focus on what you will do versus what you can't do. You'll want to list things you won't do but won't has a different effect on the mind than can't. If you can't do something it can make you feel out of control, which leads to disrupted behavior. If you won't do something you are choosing it rather than being forced.

Be Flexible Not Breakable

I believe a majority of people give up on their goals because they aren't flexible with how the outcome is achieved. It's important to remember that the plan is only a guide and is not the only route. When you are in pursuit of your heart's desire you'll find the path that will lead to your destiny. Sometimes we have to be led down an unfamiliar road in order to find the route we were meant to take. It's important not to take control after judging how events unfold in order to stay on a pre-designed course. When we surrender we allow for something greater than we imagined to be created from the unknown. Being surrendered is committing to the process but having no attachment to the outcome. If we are attached to an outcome our happiness will become dependent on something outside of ourselves. Happiness won't be found within the outcome if it can't be happy during the journey.

Visualize Success

It can be hard to accept that our mind is responsible for all our success and even our failures. Thoughts become things and visualization is thought, only amplified. Take a few minutes each day to visually see yourself taking the necessary steps to reach your goals. When you visualize living your dream, your brain doesn't know what is real or imaginary so it processes it as if you are living it now. Afterwards, your brain then recognizes it as a memory. This is a great way to experience enhanced mental states and create new behavioral patterns.

If you combine these steps with consistent action you will be living the life of your dreams. Just remember the dream starts the moment a new journey begins. I wrote an ebook that will help you gain clarity and create a plan that works for you. If you haven't worked through the workbook already download it here for free. I hope that 2019 is a year of enjoying the journey. I love you all.

Your Fellow Journeyer,

Rania