January is the perfect time of year to assess your progress in the previous year and set the tone for success in the new year. Many people set New Year resolutions with good intentions, but then they quickly lose the motivation that is needed to stay consistent with those goals. This year is full of new opportunities, and 2015 might be the year that you can finally make the lasting changes that you desire. But, you need to take a different approach with your goal setting in order to adopt a new way of thinking.

Mark Twain once said, “There are a thousand excuses for failure but never a good reason.” As you are evaluating your success (or lack of success) over the past year, your mind is likely coming up with excuses about why you didn’t achieve higher levels of self-mastery. Many people mistakenly believe that struggle is a normal part of life, and struggle is the reason they fail with their goals each year.

This year is the opportunity for you to re-write this mental pattern, so that you can see that it is possible to enjoy life without the struggle. When you remove this negative thought pattern, you will open new opportunities for growth and development.

Self-Worth is the Foundation of Your Success

If you want to achieve your new goals, then you need to build a foundation of self-worth and self-acceptance. Most of the time, new goals are created to change undesirable habits or patterns, and the goals force a person outside of their comfort zone. The person goes through the motions to complete the actions that are needed to meet the goals, but eventually it is easy to slip back into old patterns since the goals are so far outside of the “story” that the person believes about themselves.

Making these new goals turn into life-long habits means that you need to shift the mental foundation of how you view yourself. Focus on smaller, incremental changes that help you feel better about yourself. Decide that you are worthy and capable of accomplishing your 2015 goals, and maintain dedicated focus on the things that you are working on.

It is important that you focus on the actions as well as the emotions that you want to create with these lifestyle changes. Write down the actions that you will be taking to meet your goals, and also describe the emotions that you will experience when the goals have been met. Envision those emotions and feelings every morning, at night, and as much as possible throughout the day. When you are focusing on the feelings that you want, it will become easier to attract more of those emotions into your life.

How to Be Successful with Your 2015 Goals

Here are a few tips to help you change your mindset, so that you can make it easier to reach your 2015 goals:

  • De-Clutter Your Surroundings: Focus on organization for your office, home, and car. Clearing the clutter will create the mental and emotional space that is needed to unleash your creative energy. Be aware of the way your energy is flowing in different situations, and optimize your surroundings to improve your creative energy.
  • Quickly Build Up Momentum: It is easier to stick with a new goal or thought pattern when you have a lot of passion and positive energy around that goal. Find things that excite you, and make those exciting goals a priority in your life.
  • Let Go of Negative Thoughts and Emotions: It is natural for negative thought patterns to pop up, especially when you are making major changes in your life. Anytime you encounter negative thoughts, it is important to recognize the pattern and then quickly boot the thought out of your mind. Replace that space with a positive affirmation, and remember the deep, happy emotions that you are working to create in your life.
  • Listen to Uplifting Music Throughout the Day: Music can be a powerful way to shift your emotions, and it is a magical power that can inspire motivation and creativity. If you are feeling down, then turn on your favorite song and let yourself experience the music for a few minutes.
  • Use Meditation and Exercise to Relieve Stress: People often set new goals to exercise for weight loss, but it can feel like drudgery to spend hours at the gym to get rid of those excess pounds. Instead of exercising for weight loss, use the time to reduce stress. Exercise boosts endorphins and other happy hormones to reduce stress, which makes it easier to accomplish other goals in your life. By changing your attitude about exercise, you can boost your success and you will naturally lose weight at the same time.
  • Change Your Diet: Get rid of junk food and processed foods, and choose healthier alternatives instead. Food has a direct impact on your hormone levels, happiness, and health. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein for healthy, balanced meals. You will have higher levels of energy, you will lose weight, and you will feel better about yourself.

Incremental Changes for Long-Term Success

As you focus on these small changes, you will notice that your self-worth and self-acceptance begin to change. These steps will help to improve your confidence, which makes it much easier to achieve long-term goals.

Focus on developing the strong foundation within yourself, and you will become capable of achieving anything that your heart desires. From this day forward, don’t allow your life dreams to dissipate. Have faith that you will fulfill your destiny, and you will be able to accomplish anything that you can imagine. Happy New Year!

Renowned Performance Trainer in the field of Business and Self-Development, Nikkos (Nikk) Zorbas passionately helps people dream big and release their potential from within.  Nikk is the Best-Selling author of “Discovering Your Personal Power,” he has recently released his latest book “Discover Your Business Power” now available on Amazon.com.  His monthly columns appears the first Monday of every month on www.MesquiteLocalNews.com. To learn more visit www.DiscoverYourBusinessPower.com/   

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