Live As If You Matter

Ten days into your New Years resolutions...how are you doing? Statistics show many of you have already fallen off the band wagon. Some will make it another week or two but most will have given up before the end of the month. Busyness and the needs of others at work and home will begin to interrupt our determination to improve that area of our lives. Even if nothing unusual has occurred just the force of habit can quickly pull us back to our old ways. So here's my question for you - Do You Matter?

Seems like a dumb question when asked doesn't it. Of course you matter. But do you live as if you matter? If the answer is Yes - You matter then answer this question: How much time and attention do you give to your life and what matters to you? If New Years resolutions are cliche and something that never really happens for you then the answer is probably - not much time.

The point of all this is that You do matter and with 5 easy to follow tips you can find the time to stick with your New Years resolutions.

1. Aim for consistency not perfection. Truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as perfection. After all one moment of lapse does not mean you're a failure, it just means your human.

2. Monitor Yourself Keeping track of your goals and progress isn't just a technique that works in food journals. Regardless of what your goals are take 5 minutes at the beginning of the day to re-write your goals and then take 5 minutes at the end of the day to acknowledge the positive steps that you took towards your goals.

3. Visual Cues Often times to build new habits we have to stop old habits. Visual cues are an excellent way to keep your mind and actions headed in the right directions. Some examples of visual cues could be pictures on the bathroom mirror, signs on the refrigerator, keeping your tennis shoes by the bed, or having your favorite weight loss site as your home page.

4. Learn from your mistakes When it comes to mistakes or slip ups relapse doesn't mean collapse. In fact psychology studies have shown that the way you view your mistakes is actually a prediction of your success. So view your mistakes as an opportunity to set you up for success. Remember the point of viewing the mistake is not to continue to look backwards but to be better prepared to continue to move forward.

5. Be Patient One of my favorite quotes is "If we talked to our friends like we talk to ourselves we wouldn't have any friends." Its true for most of us - we are extremely hard on ourselves. The truth of long term change is that it typically takes 6 months for old habits to be broken and the new patterns to become the norm. So be patient. Although you can microwave gourmet meals you can't microwave a gourmet life.

For additional resources on Living As If You Matter visit My Life Compass for the coaching and personal development products to support you in your journey.

Karen Zeigler
Speaker & Life Coach