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Health & Fitness

A New Year, a New You? Not Very Likely Without a Strategy for Change

Making a transition to a "new you" in the New Year, might be a difficult task, but when we use some planning and effective strategies, success can be yours.

If you are like most people, this is a time when you’ll find yourself looking back on 2012, and anticipating the promise of the New Year.  We often find ourselves reflecting on our goals and accomplishments as we review the end of one year, and look forward to the next year.  We also look at behaviors we want to change, and what areas of life we can improve on.   We often resolve to change. We can decide to make more of our time and talents, and replace unproductive habits with productive routines.  We promise to make some necessary changes to make things better for ourselves or our loved ones. The start of a new year is a prime time to resolve to improve, but really, any time that we realize old patterns are unproductive can be a good time to decide to create a positive change.  

The focus may be on personal health issues such as weight control and stopping smoking, or other ways of making life better, like having the family together for dinner more than a couple of nights a week, to not get so angry while driving, or to finally save a bit of cash just to be used for an emergency, a beginning to fiscal well-being.

“They always say time changes things,

but you actually have to change them yourself.”   ― Andy Warhol

These familiar resolutions are actually transitions, and transitioning into a healthy lifestyle or new behavior successfully requires thought, planning and self-reflection. When we consciously choose to make such a transition, we need to give up our old definitions of the world, our old ways of doing things, and we can find ourselves feeling challenged by the process of “letting go”.  Endings are often difficult for people, even when we are unhappy with the way things used to be. This may happen because we are more comfortable with what is familiar. The unknown can cause uneasy feelings.  Once we let go of the old ways, we enter a period of feeling disconnected from the past but not yet connected to the present—this has been called the neutral zone.  This is when we can benefit from much self-reflection, and assess what we really want out of life.  It is also a time when we can reorient ourselves toward the future. 

Some professional guidance through this process can certainly increase your success rate. If it's time for you to get your health, time, productivity and life management "handled" - and learn the skill of relaxation and getting things accomplished consistently - then I invite you to call 631-473-0405 and learn about how hypnosis or counseling can help you get the success you’ve always desired.

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