New Year Resolutions

Are you making any New Year resolutions this year? If you are, Fantastic! I wish you well in achieving your goals. What are your goals by the way? Do they happen to be the same or very similar to the ones you made last year?

Hmm, I thought so! New Year Resolutions can be a fantastic way of helping us to reduce weight, stop smoking, learn a new skill, exercise more, etc… but be honest, how long does that resolve last? Often it's not very long, is it?

So how can you help yourself keep those resolutions in 2012? Well, I am going to suggest two ways: one you may think quite strange, the other is a very practical solution.

Let's look at the strange one first. Don't make any New Year Resolutions! Why on earth would I suggest you do this? Think about it: what happens when you tell someone you have made a New Year Resolution? I expect that you will say something "I've made this resolution, not sure how long I'll keep to it though" or you will hear someone say "Oh, let's see how long you keep that up for then!"

You see the trouble with New Year Resolutions is that we do not always take them seriously; it's just something we do, a tradition. We make them actually expecting to fail and just wait and look for the time when we do fail and then just say "Oh well, it's happened as usual'. Yes, it has happened as usual - because you made it happen by expecting it to happen! Makes sense when you think about it, doesn't it?

Or you can decide what it is you want to achieve in 2012 and prepare to make it happen. You would not dream of doing a half-hearted job at work or ignore the things you need to do to care for your family, would you? So why do a half-hearted job on yourself?

Prepare! Let's say that in 2012 you have decided to Stop Smoking. Make a list of what you need to do to achieve this. Do you need to see your doctor for help and advice, or call for an information pack from the NHS Stop Smoking helpline - think about what help you would like. Hypnotherapy is a wonderful way to stop smoking, for example. Research all the help that is available and choose what appeals to you, then call or email to get that help. Take action!

When I help my clients to stop smoking, I send them a lot of questions to answer before we meet and I ask them to keep a Smoking Journal for a week. In their Journal, I ask them to log every single time they smoke, what it was they smoked, where they were, who they were with, did they offer or accept a cigarette, how they felt as they smoked. This is a vital part of the preparation to stop smoking, and you know, quite often my clients tell me that doing this journal has made them realise that they don't actually enjoy smoking at all, and very often have already cut down significantly or even already stopped smoking before our first session.

That is the magic of preparation! Know what you want to do, how you are going to do it, and who you need to help you - and go for it!

You can prepare for any goal - weight reduction, fitness programme, learning a new skill - in exactly the same way.

Hypnotherapy can help you along the way too, not just for weight management or stopping smoking. Wouldn't it be wonderful to learn how to relax, to switch off stress, to help you concentrate, to be more confident...? Will 2012 be the year you finally get rid of that phobia? There are so many ways that Hypnotherapy can help you live the life you want to live. Give me a call and let me know how I can help you have a very Happy New Year!

www.lindsayshepherdhypnotherapy.co.uk - 01202 511096 -

Call and say 'Happy New Year Bournemouth Town' for 15% off a two session Stop Smoking Programme (usual price £150.00, offer price £127.50, offer valid on booking taken in January 2012)