Do we EVER stick to them, attempt them, or are they just something we ‘say’ and forget?…

In my case, after I finish the past year off with a high (and draw a line in the sand)

[To complete the exercise... "How to finish off the past year on a high" click here now]

then and only then do I start the New Year with resolutions which I call GOALS!

as I have found if I make New Year Resolutions, I rarely stick to them and to be honest, can’t even remember most of them…

So…. I am sharing with you today my 2012 goals that I believe are achievable, good resolutions that we could all perhaps do…..(and obviously I will never add in ‘give up my gin & tonic’)

1. Start the New Year with the ‘out with the old, in with the new’ feeling

As a practice, each year I like to choose just one word as a theme for the following year. This is the second year I’ve been doing this “ritual” and have found it to be extremely powerful. The word becomes like a silent mantra, and a guide for both small and major decisions, and can often precipitate significant leaps and learnings.

My word (theme) for 2012 is HARMONY This means harmony personally and professionally; internally and externally - to an unprecedented level. This also means physically, mentally and emotionally.

To read more about this one-word theme practice and how to apply it your own life, do check out this blog post: One-Word Theme for 2012: HARMONY.

And amazingly see where it could also apply – perhaps your wardrobe? house? kitchen clear out? garage?! or……….friends?!!! See what needs ‘shifting’ in your life…and once you start in one area see how it may apply to other areas of your life too…

2. If you are thinking of doing a diet, kick starting a new exercise regime – don’t go ‘faddy’.

Think less is more…less carbs…more exercise…less input…more output…less snacking more walking…less junk… food more fruit & vegetables…you know the score!!

But don’t go MAD and kickstart the New Year with mad foods, exercise that leaves you weak from January 1st…

I am a big believer in everything in moderation, even moderation!!!
eg. How about starting with a delivery of fresh organic fruit and veg each week.

3. List making.

I always make tonnes of lists, and I believe they work brilliantly! Why not do one in January that you can check at the end of 2012 and see what you have ticked off!

If list making sounds boring then give each month a title (theme) eg. A ‘dream and aspirations’ list is always a good place to start – Put down all the things you would LOVE to do and see if you can make it your goal to tick off….as many as possible!

I call my regular to-do lists “The BOM-Shell” aka The Business of Me!

To-do lists will then become YOU being the priority and you will see your focus shift to achieving your Bomshell list… what is important to you… rather than attending to everyone else’s urgencies.

4. Take your health in hand.

I love the Bupra health insurance advertisement on tv at the moment. It shows you meeting a healthier version of yourself…. if you took care of your health.

“What would you say if you met a healthier version of yourself?”…

So imagine a healthier version of yourself …taking the not-so-healthy version right now… by the hand.

What would he or she say to you: “Come on girl I believe in you. Trust me… you can do it!”

I have a quote: “Quality of health = Quality of life!”

Without good health, nothing in life is possible – so make this the year that you get checked up and checked out and stay on top of your health. Get those 5-7 daily doses of raw fruit and vegetables into you, and everything going – and don’t put it off.. Life is too short, and you have to grab each moment when you can!

And if you don’t have the time, don’t like raw fruit and vege… check out Juice Plus (raw F&V in a capsule minus the salt, water and sugar). I take it religiously …have done for 10yrs+… now it is my health insurance policy. [more info here...]

5. Decide to have a ‘guilt-free’ year!!

In friendships, family, life and work – stick to your gut instincts, and stop feeling guilty about things and look on life as an opportunity to be yourself, be real, be the real authentic self and in the moment

– a great book on the subject is ‘31 words to live a guilt-free life: finding the freedom to be your most powerful self’ by Karen Bouris

Cheers to you achieving your gold in 2012.
Shelley Taylor-Smith

Founder & Director Champion Mindset
Based in Perth, Western Australia
www.championmindset.com.au
www.OpenWaterSwimmingMastery.com

About Shelley Taylor-Smith

Shelley Taylor-Smith is Australia’s No.1 Mental Toughness Coach: or as her clients say “Tough Love Coach” by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Shelley helps people transform their Champion potential into performance. An energetic and inspirational speaker, international bestselling author and corporate educator, Shelley demonstrates how harnessing the power of your mind and boosting your self belief can help you achieve your goals. With her passionate commitment to being relatable, Shelley delivers a powerful lesson in mental toughness. Find out more and subscribe to Shelley’s fortnightly Champion Motivations newsletters

The Bleedingly Obvious New Years Resolution!

I don’t know about you but I feel like New Year Resolutions have been done to death the past week and I wanted to put a different twist on 2010 (paradigm shift) and ask you for your one word or phrase that describes your “intention” for 2010!

So here is a “Champion Tip”, which comes to you from Dan Robey of Positive Habits.

By reading today’s blog you’ll discover how to decide your best INTENTION for 2010 or New Years Resolution Ever! Dan Robey highlights the bleedingly obvious but like most things in our hectic, chaotic, everyday life where we are living it jam-packed to the max….I am not surprised that you may have overlooked the bleedingly obvious.

So enjoy this read!!!

“Here is the best New Years Resolution ever!! Count Your Blessings

That’s right…I said count your blessings.

Make it a habit this new year to take inventory of the good things you have been blessed with on a regular basis.

What do I mean by that? Here is an example. Quite often I get emails from people who are depressed. For health reasons, or relationship reasons, financial reasons, or something else, they feel miserable and very unhappy.

But, when they take stock of what they actually have they quickly realize that they are fortunate
and blessed in many ways.

There are several assumptions that I can immediately make when I receive an email from such a person as described above.

* The ability to send an email means that it is very likely that they either own a computer or have access to one. Count that as one blessing. You see, there are millions, upon millions of people in
this world that do not have computers, nor access to them.

They are blessed by having access to the largest source of information ever available to mankind …the internet. They can now find information to help solve their problems, be it health, financial, or otherwise.

The millions of people who do not have access to this vast knowledge pool called the internet cannot do what they can do….they are fortunate….very fortunate.

* It is also very likely that the person sending the email message has a roof over their head. You see, computers do not hold up well in the rain. Again, there are millions of people living in huts, or temporary shelters.

There is a great quote from Eddie Rickenbacker, a fighter pilot in WWII who had to ditch his plane in the ocean. Eddie and his crew floated on a raft for 3 weeks in the ocean without food, or fresh water. When they were finally rescued, Eddie said, “for the rest of my life, if I have a roof over my head and food, I will never complain about anything.”

* The person that is sending the email is obviously literate….they know how to read, write and type. Do you know how many people there are in this world who do not know how to read? Again, another blessing added to their list.

It is amazing what we can learn about a person just by receiving one email from them.

Your Champion Action Today (…tomorrow and for the future):
Here is an exercise you should do on a regular basis, make it a new Champion habit. This is a kind of personal inventory of your blessings…keep it private and close for reference.

Make a list on a notepad, call it your “blessings list.” Place a “Yes” next to each question about your life that is good and a “No” next to an area of your life you feel is bad right now.

>> Do you have a spouse? Is your spouse supportive?
>> Do you have a family? Is your family supportive?
>> Do you have children? Are your children supportive?
>> Do you have a home? Do you have a job? Do you like your job?
>> Can you read and write?
>> Do you have access to a computer?
>> Do you go to a church? Is your church supportive? Do you have faith in God?
>> Do you live in a country where it is possible to increase your education and get a good job?
>> Do you have a positive attitude?
>> Do you have access to books that can teach you how to improve your attitude?
>> Are you motivated?
>> Do you have access to books that can teach you how to be more motivated?
>> Is your health good?
>> Do you have access to books that can help you maintain your health?

Do you see now how this is going? Even for the areas where you indicated “No” there is probably a “Yes” next to the question asking you if there is a knowledge source or support group that can help you change that “No” to a “Yes.”

It is amazing how often we take for granted the blessings that we have. This exercise can help anyone who is down and depressed about life. Pass it on to others who you think may need it.”

And today remember how to think of yourself as you go about your day, your week, your month, your year: Hello, my name is GRATITUDE!

Go for your gold in 2010!
Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: Still stuck on what your intention is for 2010. Call Shelley on 0414 594 and 245 and book in for your complimentary PICK SHELLEY’S BRAIN session. First 10 people today who call by 5pm Sydney EST qualify. Call now to avoid disappointment. Or better still purchase the Power of Success 7 week e-course where Shelley coaches you each week via email. Beauty is you receive the weekly unit coure and complete it at your leisure in the luxury of your home, office or on the bus, train or plane. You choose. It is so simple and easy to complete. Get ready now to count your blessings! More info…

Getting ready for the New Year? Let these 12 New Year’s quotes help you make your resolution stick.

2009 is almost at an end. What are you resolving to do this year? Whether you desire to change or stop a bad habit, or you resolve to change a part of your personality… let these New Year’s quotes inspire you into 2010.

1. “Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. ” ~Bill Vaughn

2. “New Year’s Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time” ~James Agate

3. “New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights” ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

4. “Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. ” ~Brooks Atkinson

5. “New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual” ~Mark Twain

6. “Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account” ~ Oscar Wilde

7. “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day” ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

8. “People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas” ~Anonymous

9. “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man” ~Benjamin Franklin

10. “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us” ~Hal Borland

11. “But can one still make resolutions when one is over forty? I live according to twenty-year-old habits” ~Andre Gide

12. One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things” ~John Burroughs

Celebrate 2010 in style and remember these New Year quotes as you dance your way into another year. Happy New Year!

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

There is only 2 days left until the end of 2009. And I’m about to share with you how the next 2 days can literally change your life.

For the next 2 days, I want you to think about your life. Make a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The things you’re thankful for, and the things you’d like to improve. Good things that happened this year, and not-so-good things. And once you know where you stand, it’s time to decide where to go next.

Most people get bogged down by resolutions because they lose motivation…Because they listen to those voices in their head that say, “Why bother?” You have to keep going in order to get results.

So today, I want you to choose ONE goal for 2010. I can hear you say “What only one goal Shelley?”
But you’re not going to wait until January 1st to get started. Nope–you’re going to start TODAY.

Once you decide on your goal, I want you to make a list of 7 “baby steps” you can take toward reaching your goal.

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, here are some baby steps you can take:
1. Cut out one alcoholic or sugary drink today.
2. Replace an unhealthy snack with a healthy one, like a piece of fruit, nuts, or a vegetable.
3. Take a 20 minute walk around your neighbourhood or work building.

Once you create your 7-day plan, stick to it. And when New Year’s comes around you can give yourself a pat on the back for sticking to your goals.

But you’re not going to stop there. Now make a plan for every month of 2010. And take bigger steps toward achieving your goal.

Sticking to this plan might be a little bit harder. So the best thing you can do to ensure your success is to eliminate all those obstacles along the way.

Fortunately, there’s a simple technique that lets you get rid of the negative thoughts that are holding you back– And put a big happy check mark next to ALL your New Year’s Resolutions!

This year CAN be the year you make those dreams a reality.

Go for your Gold
And remember: If you don’t quit, you will make it!

Cheers Shelley Taylor-Smith

If NEW YEAR’S resolutions are kept beyond January, people will be getting healthier, quitting smoking and becoming more community-minded.

With less than 3 days in 2009, people are now turning their attention to setting goals and what they want to achieve in 2010 and New Year’s Resolutions.

The Top Ten Resolutions include:
•1. Stop smoking
•2. Get Fit
•3. Lose Weight
•4. Enjoy Life More
•5. Quit Drinking
•6. Get Organised
•7. Learn Something New
•8. Get Out of Debt
•9. Spend more time with the Family
•10. Help Others

Losing weight, giving up bad habits and donating to charity are top of the list for people resolving to improve themselves, and after a year of belt tightening, the business information analyst IBISWorld predicts certain industries will be counting on people’s cash as they fulfil their promises.

Increased awareness of healthy lifestyles and guilt from festive over-indulgence will see the weight-loss industry take $111.8 million in January as gyms and health clubs with at least 12 per cent growth in new members for the month.

The national fitness manager at Fitness First, Dominic dos Remedios, said January brought in influx of people.

”Unfortunately, a lot of people drop off because they set massive expectations,” he said. ”I would suggest taking their goal and breaking it into bite-size, achievable chunks.”

Holidaying from Auckland, Rebecca Mentor said her experience of losing weight had inspired her to help others do the same. ”I’d like to set up my own fat fighters movement,” she said.

Mark Long said that in his Erskineville household there was lots of yelling around the house when family members wanted to talk to one another. ”My resolution is you walk to the person you want to talk to,” he said.

January 1 is traditionally a busy day for Quitline, with smokers resolving to start the year by kicking the habit, the Cancer Institute NSW’s cancer prevention program manager, Anita Dessaix, said. ”New Year’s Day is typically one of those milestones that smokers set for quitting,” she said. ”If the motive is there, quit immediately.”

IBISWorld predicts charitable donations in January will be those that require only a small investment but still help a community, such as sponsoring a child.

The marketing and communications director of Plan Australia, Aimee Suchard-Lowe, said donating was not about feeling guilty. ”It should be about someone saying: ‘This year I want to make a difference to my life and other people’s lives’,” she said. ”It should be that positive impact.”

A study by the University of Hertfordshire, in Britain, found less than one-quarter of those who set themselves a goal for 2010 would be likely to succeed, and the remainder would feel despondent at having broken their resolutions.

Of those who fail, many would focus on the downside of not achieving the goals, suppress cravings, fantasise about being successful and rely on willpower alone.

Those who set smaller goals had an average success rate of 35 per cent, while those with strategies like keeping a diary and telling friends about their goal had a 50 per cent chance.

The best way to achieve your Resolutions and goals in 2010 is to keep it simple.

How do you keep it simple you may well ask?

Statistic: 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are never achieved.
Only 5% have the intestinal fortitude to follow through with their commitment! If you are committed, if you want it bad enough, if you are prepared to do whatever it takes and if you don’t quit….you will achieve your goal. There are no excuses only all the reasons in the world why you did not achieve your goal.

1. Identify your goals – in the 5 key areas of career, finance, health & fitness, family/relationships and personal growth

2. What benefits will I achieve reaching this goal? Eg. Losing 5kgs – increase in energy, able to keep up with the kids, able to fit into my favourite pair of jeans or that special dress
3. What are the major obstacles to overcome to reach your goal? – Eg. Cut back on junk food – 1. check your fridge & cupboards for junk food 2. go shopping on a full stomach as opposed to when you are hungry (you will be amazed at the difference of your food in your trolley and the money saved in your pocket.)
4. What skills or knowledge is required to achieve your goal? Eg. Health & Fitness – reading up on personal trainers, costs, program types, gym memberships
5. What are the individuals, groups or companies and organisations to work with to achieve your goal? Eg. Finance – clear credit card debt. Tell a friend, find a buddy who will hold you accountable and will support you with your goal. Join Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig etc.
6. Completion Date – when do wish for your goal to be achieved
7. Celebrate Success – how are you going to celebrate achieving your goal!

And remember: if you don’t quit…you will make it!