Resolution or Solution?

Welcome to Quest for Success 2025!

‍

This is the time of year when you can take time to reflect on the learnings of the year past, celebrate your achievements and look forward to the year ahead. As you anticipate the coming new year, you often resolve to change something, a promise to yourself that will make next year even better than the last. You will take more exercise, get the body image that you want, take a training, learn something new, meet someone new, get that dream house, get that dream job, start your own business, travel more. You exchange your resolutions with your friends and family with pride and at that point they feel realistic and achievable, don't they?

‍

This classic and socially normalised thinking raises a very important question. Have you ever really followed through on a New Year’s Resolution and completed everything that you set out to achieve?

‍

You often begin the New Year filled with motivation and good intentions and then the enthusiasm fades and your thinking reverts back to the way it was before you resolved to change, didn't it? Why is that? The simple answer is that the motivation to see through the New Year’s Resolution to completion was never really there. Setting resolutions is what people do and what people ask you about at this time of year isn't it? The reality is that, within the resolution, there was nothing compelling for the unconscious mind to act upon and so it quickly put you back into your habitual mode of operation. A resolution is often something you believe you 'should' do, rather than something you 'want' to do. The difference in language here is crucial as it suggests lack of choice. When you feel that you 'should' do something, the motivation is born out of necessity rather than choice and the energy that is associated with the necessity is low. Alternatively, when you say that you 'want' to do something, the motivation is different, it is generated by possibility and comes with high energy levels. Experiment with the conscious use of language and feel your energy levels shift, it's astonishing and powerful!

‍

‍

So, this year, don’t resolve to do it, learn how to do it and then take action to do something you want to do! Set a goal to get you there. Anyone who has taken an Enhanced NLP Coach Practitioner Certification Training with us, knows the specifics of great goal setting that gets real world results, rapidly and effectively. Look for workable solutions to the elements of your life that you would like to change and then ignite the touch paper by taking action. The more energy and attention you put into an idea, the more feedback you will get from outside of yourself. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunity! The most productive method of doing just that is to set well-formed goals. Goals that are detailed and written in the present tense provide the most compelling internal representations for your unconscious mind to act on. Your unconscious mind is the goal getter.

‍

So, how does goal setting really work? Well, NLP provides us with the answer. When your unconscious mind becomes focussed upon a compelling future, it naturally produces the behaviour necessary to support the realisation of that future, causing it to happen. So, you don’t need resolutions, you need well-formed goals which you can insert into your future to take you into 2025 with your motivation running on turbo boost.

‍

Now here’s the thing, it’s crucial for your unconscious mind that you provide clear direction in terms of your focus so that it can produce the best behaviour for you to manifest your goals. The key is to focus on what you want, rather than what you don’t want. Remember, energy flows where attention goes, so be really careful to put your attention firmly onto what you want. Your conscious mind is the goal setter and your unconscious mind is the goal getter.

‍

The process of goal writing is deeply satisfying and extremely powerful, when you are clear about what specifically you want to achieve. The first step is to allow yourself time to think about your goals properly and enjoy the process and the energy that it brings. In NLP we ask ourselves a set of simple questions to ignite our thinking and add clarity and energy to our thoughts and desires for the future. These simple questions will initiate deep reflection and move your thinking from your problem-based state or present state, to a desired state and in the process offers you a rich and detailed representation of what it is you want. Here's a great place to start. On a blank sheet of paper, write down everything that you no longer want in your life, everything you want to change. When you have done that, consider your list and then write down the opposite of each point you have made. Now you have a list of what you DO want and you can begin to shape your goals from there.

‍

The process of goal setting will allow you to bring your future desires into sharp focus. You can then write them down. Physically writing your goals is a great idea as it provides ‘muscle memory’ for your goals and really brings them to life. Remember, a goal that is in your head is still just a dream. Time to pick up your pen!

‍

It often helps with the clarity of your goals if you contextualise them. Reflect on all the areas of your life, for example, career, relationships, health and wellbeing, personal development, spirituality and family, then select the areas that could do with some fabulous changes. Choose one and complete the process of generating the goal before you move on to the next.

‍

Remember the most important element in achieving you goals. TAKE ACTION AND FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT!

‍