Following a survey of over 200 people, Lanarkshire based Leigh Payne, an accredited Hypnotherapist , Achievement Specialist and author of the Living with Clarity © development programme, suggests that over 90% of us have already given up on our New Year resolutions by the middle of January. Why should this be the case? Leigh explains that, “At the time of making our resolutions we really believe that achieving them is possible and are motivated to change things for the better. When life goes back to normal though and we return to jobs, school and the busy rituals of life, our mind is taken over by all the other day-to-day tasks thrown our way and the resolutions we made are rapidly pushed to the back of our minds.” Leigh’s survey is backed up by a study led by Professor Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordshire, whose research suggests that only 12% of people will be successful in accomplishing their resolutions.

The good news though, is that there are ways in which you can significantly improve the success of your efforts.

Leigh has put together a seven step strategy which will help you to keep the Resolutions at the front of your mind to give them a better chance of success.

One – Write down your Resolutions. Write them somewhere that you can review on a daily basis. The best place is at the front of your 2009 diary or in a book specific for goal setting. Having pictures too can help you focus on your objectives more effectively.

Two – Make them specific. Having a specific goal is far better than having a vague one. For example, having a resolution to ‘run a half-marathon within three and a half hours by the end of July 2009’ is far more meaningful than simply hoping to ‘get fitter’.

Three – Concentrate on one big goal at a time. It is pointless making a resolution to “stop smoking” only to put on three stone in the process. Once you rid yourself of nicotine your body will start to re-heal. Don’t replace the nicotine for food or swap one addiction for another. This will only give you an additional goal to work through next year.

Four – Make your goals achievable. That doesn’t mean your goal can’t be challenging. If you want to lose several stone in weight, focus on losing only a few pounds per week rather than being fixated on the end result. Making resolutions easier to digest by breaking them down into specific chunks makes them far more achievable.

Five – Always measure your progress. When you are reviewing your resolutions it is a great idea to record how far you have progressed since yesterday or last week. By making the progress visual, it is amazing how having a quick glance at your progress motivates you to do more.

Six – Make your resolution family balanced. When you decide on your resolutions, it may be a good idea to let your friends and family know what you working to accomplish. That way they can support your progress, particularly if it involves them. If you plan to give up smoking, why not put the money you save aside for a family holiday. That way, they may be more supportive of your efforts to quit.

Seven – Give yourself a reward. Ensure that when you achieve the resolution, you know that you have a treat waiting for you at the other end. If your resolution is to get over your fear of flying, ensure that you have a trip on a plane booked for when you plan to finish. There is no greater feeling than the feeling of success so celebrate it.

To further assist you in achieving your objectives, Leigh has made a Resolution 2009 audio recording available free from her website to everyone wishing to make the most of 2009. You can download the 15 minute hypnotherapy session until the end of January by visiting http://www.leighpayne.co.uk/free/free.html

For further information on Leigh Payne please contact:

Leigh Payne (Mdip)
Email: leigh @ leighpayne.co.uk