January 4th, 2012
I will be more balanced.
Does that sound familiar? It may be one of the most popular resolutions made among those who are busy at work and in life. Many of us make this resolution year after year and some of us have gotten to the point where we don’t even bother.
We say life happens or that other priorities get in the way. Thankfully, these are NOT the reasons that this resolution doesn’t work. It’s how we’ve framed the resolution and evaluate our progress that’s the problem.
We are torturing ourselves!
We instruct our brains to point out every time and every evidence that we are not balanced. So they don’t point out any of the times we are balanced and they certainly don’t give us any ideas on how to be balanced or point out any opportunities to practice being balanced—because that isn’t what we instructed our brains to do.
At the end of the day, when we reflect on how we did, we instruct our brains to focus on everything we did wrong, so we don’t see anything we did right. We feel like failures and berate our selves for not being balanced. We’re not in a state of thankfulness, wonder, vision, purpose or possibility (which brings about transformation) The whole process is a downward spiral and uninspiring.
It is when we are inspired that we achieve significant results. It is when we are inspired that we transform.
If you really want balance in your life, there are some specific ways to powerfully re-frame your resolution.
- Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want.
- Focus on the NOW.
- Describe the ripple effect – the difference you’re making by fulfilling your resolution of balance.
- Tell the story.
- Acknowledge your progress and do do-overs.
More resources to create balance in your life:
For resources and specific tips on how to re-frame your goals and resolutions to achieve balance, check out:
- Forward ThinkingTM Reminder Video and PDF: How to Make Goals and Resolutions You Can Keep
- Forward ThinkingTM Reminder PDF: Focus on What You Want, Not Want You Don’t Want
- Free self-assessment on Your Life Well-Lived
- Inspiring video: Powerful Resolutions, Intentions and Affirmations for a Life Well-Lived