The end of one calendar year and the beginning of another brings many of us to embrace setting goals and making plans with great gusto. We develop plans for our business, set personal goals for our health and make New Year’s resolutions about money … all with the very best intentions.
According to one survey, 68% of people make New Year’s Resolutions and 8% of those people succeed in achieving those resolutions. Why? Because we set goals but we don’t address what needs to change to make our goals a reality. And yet we know if we don’t change what we do, we won’t get a different result.
M.J. Ryan’s book ‘This Year I Will … How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True’ is full of the tools, inspiration and insight you need to create strategies to help you create the new habits you need to meet your goals.
She is quick to point out that no matter how small or large the goals they all require learning new habits and making change. Achieving the success you want is not going to be a quick-fix. It is a journey and always a difficult one.
There is a good reason it is difficult. Despite what you may think, it is not simply that you are weak, unfocused and have no self discipline. As Ryan explains, your brain works to keep your bad habits front of mind and therefore extremely difficult to get rid of. It seems our brains become “hard wired”to old habits. Never fear, there is an answer other than brain surgery to remove the problem. You need to create and build new behaviours to help your brain grow new pathways.
The book is divided into five parts to explain how best to build those new behaviours. Each part has practical exercises and a summary. You need to:
1. Prepare to Change ‘ Whoever thought you had to prepare for change?
2. Get into Action ‘ On your mark, get set, GO!
3. Keep on Going ‘ The tough part!
4. Keep Your Promise ‘ Twelve tips to keep your promise to yourself.
5. Maintain Conscious Self Creation ‘ You are what you let yourself be.
M.J. Ryan tells her own personal stories and shares inspiring quotes and insights all to provide the direction and motivation you need to muster up the energy, determination and aspiration to sustain all of those good intentions.
