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January 2008 Newsletter: Resolutions
- small is beautiful
Some of us are great at planning ahead, while others of us like to enjoy the moment. In NLP-speak we call it being ‘through time or in time’ (NLP Is Neuro-linguistic Programming). The ‘through timers’ have their lives mapped out, while ‘in timers’ love spontaneity. In the past I was hugely structured and organised, these days I tend to be more laid back and philosophical taking each day as it comes.
However, thanks to Rob’s prompt I did spend last night doing a mind map of my goals for the year. I adore electronic mind maps and now 2008 is captured as one big picture that includes major holidays (visiting our daughter this Spring when she’s studying in Cuba and celebrating a family wedding in Devon), business goals (getting more web savvy and tracking sales targets), and health ones (getting into shape for the beach and perfecting the tango).
The challenge with goals and dreams is that they look so good on paper and often that’s where they stay. The devil is in the detailed actions that bring them to life. My next step is taking each big goal and splitting it into a sequence of tiny steps.
On the way to the gym yesterday morning (yes, I am down there early), the Capital radio phone-in was encouraging people to call and say how fast they’d given up their new year resolutions. How quickly had they succumbed to that first cigarette or chocolate croissant? The gym’s full of people who know they’ll not be there this time next month (by the way, Chris Tarrant’s tip to give up smoking was to wait 40 seconds until the craving passed).
However in the changing rooms, Linda, my power walking chum and fitness instructor, said “I’m proud that I kept my New Year’s Resolution going all year long in 2007. “
“What was it?” I asked.
“To be a one bag girl. You know, I used to have loads of different bags in the car with sports kit. I decided one was enough, it’s made life so much simpler.” One small change had made the difference to make her feel organised and in control.
If you’re already at the point where your new year’s resolutions are looking big and scary or slipping off the radar, then consider what is the smallest daily action that will keep you going in the right direction. So for example:
As always our book ‘Building Self-Confidence for Dummies’ offers you more practical tips and resources to achieve your resolutions at any time of the year.
Change happens incrementally. Small actions build like a jigsaw puzzle that is completed piece by piece. To build your confidence, feel free to take on enormous challenges, but nobody says you have to do it all in one fell swoop.
Brinley’s final advice on the most challenging projects is: “How would it be if you allowed it to be easy on yourself?”
So as we wish you good luck with your dreams and resolutions for 2008, break them into small enough steps and they will become realistic and easier to sustain. To finish with a variation on another saying: If you think it’s too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito!”
Best wishes
Kate and Brinley .................................................................................................
See the extra chapter "Ultimate Confidence: The Power To Get Any Result You Want" available exclusively through www.yourmostconfidentself.com.
For additional resources visit: www.yourmostconfidentself.com
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