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With the festive season upon us, the promise of joyful Christmas times & a summer of fun is all around us....
In amongst this, you've probably started thinking about what 2009 will bring. Most of us will have made a promise that it will be the year we lose weight, take time out for ourselves, learn to salsa dance, etc etc etc.
Isn't it interesting that we tend to put off the changes we want to make to a time that seems 'perfect' or 'easier'? Read on to learn how to STOP putting off these changes.
The LifePsyche team is taking a short break over Christmas. We will shut Monday 21st December, and reopen Monday 12th January. From all the team, we wish you a joyful & meaningful Christmas period, & we look forward to seeing you all in the New year! See you soon, The LifePsyche Team
Make NOW, Not 2009, Your BEST Year!
With 2009 around the corner, many people will be eagerly awaiting the New Year so they can "start" their new plan to lose weight, spend more time on themselves, or achieve other goals. Unfortunately, we get off more on the fantasy of talking about our New Year resolutions, than actually doing them. In fact, the majority of people NEVER uphold their New Year resolutions. Worse still, not only do we put our goals off until the New Year, we decide we will do our odd jobs when we have more spare time during annual leave, or spend more on ourselves when the kids leave school, or meet a life partner when we lose weight, or travel when we retire....&, then what do we do? We die with our music & dreams still in us! We call this phenomenon the Great Deferral System of Life - a sneaky excuse we get addicted to so we can procrastinate our lives away. We end up living our life exactly how we DIDN'T want to live it - unhappy, overweight, fearful of change, poor, single etc etc. We seduce ourselves into thinking a certain time is going to be the perfect time to make change. However, the reality is that we are just kidding ourselves... the perfect time is always NOW. Read on to learn how to START NOW to make the rest of your life, the best life you could have!
The LifePsyche team have developed these top tips to get you on track for the rest of your life....
1. Be clear about what you want to achieve: Wishy-washy goals like "I want to be healthier" are so vague you won't really know when you have succeeded or failed. Clear goals are essential. Ask yourself, what is it I really want to achieve, & how can I put it in a specific & measurable way? For example, being healthier may involve eating 2 pieces of fruit a day, walking for 30 minutes each morning, &/or drinking 2 litres of water a day. Having specific goals means you will have specific feedback to monitor how well you are progressing.
2. Ink it, don't think it: Once you have decided what to do, you need to write it down. Remember, it's just a dream until you write it down, then it becomes a goal. Writing it down also allows you to closely track your progress. For example, you might tick off your fruit each day, track your exercise sessions, or monitor your food intake.
3. Be clear about why you want to change: It's easy to differentiate between those people who have a clear reason for making positive changes, & those who don't. We call it the gut-wrenching reason. Those who have the most success in making positive changes, no matter how big or small, are those who have a reason that really means something to them. Whether it is a genuine health scare, the need to be a good role model for your children, or a strong desire to get more out of life, if you have a clear & strong reason, you will be more committed, & achieve more. Spend some time thinking & writing about why you want to make changes. Don't stay on the surface with reasons such as, "I want to be healthier". Ask yourself, "Why is that important to me?" Continue to ask yourself this question until you feel you have really hit the core of your motivation. If you get teary, you know you're on the right track. It means you're delving down to the real motivations for change, & that's how much it has to mean.
4. Be prepared for hard work: Think about it, if it was simple & easy, you would have done it by now. Change is hard work, & takes time. Don't kid yourself that there is some easy fix or magic pill that will do the work for you. It's about taking responsibility for your actions. The day you take responsibility is the day you start on the way to making the changes. Remember, the only place Success comes before Work is in the dictionary.
5. Get support: Taking responsibility for your own motivation & commitment takes care of almost half of the likelihood that you will be successful. The next step is to get your team together. Research shows that you will do better if you have support, & whether it is friends, family, or professional support, it is a key part of your change. So, get your partner & kids to walk with you, get friends to plan healthy catch ups, & get professionals to give you advice & support on managing stress & anxiety. The most important thing is to identify your team early, & be clear with how they can help you.
6. Don't give up: The most useful models in health psychology show one inevitable fact - we all relapse. The most important thing when you take a step backwards is to get back on the horse ASAP! Eating one tim tam, missing one day of exercise, &/or working too much on one weekend is a step back, NOT a reason to give up. The trouble lies with our Mad Monkey Mind who, after a simple slip up, usually tells us it's time to give up! Your #1 priority is to not listen to your Mad Monkey Mind. Clarify what went wrong, how you will do things differently to make sure it doesn't happen in the future, & let the slip-up go. Remember, these slip-ups provide us with perfect learning opportunities!
7. Practice makes permanent: The research is unequivocal on what differentiates super successful performers from average performers. PRACTICE! Tiger Woods himself said he reached #1 through practice, not by having an amazing stroke. There are many naturally talented people who never make it in the world. If you have a passion to do something & practice the actions you need to do to get what you want, you will get there. Start practicing today.
LifePsyche is offering a special package to celebrate you Being Who You Want To Be & Creating the Best Life you Could Have Our "Life By Design"" package focuses on identifying what is important in your life, the steps you need to achieve those changes, & the strategies you need to maintain the motivation to succeed. Book in for a 7-session individual personal development course today, & pay for only 5 sessions! Medicare & Private Health rebates may apply. CALL (07) 3843 1750
Talk to Jean about booking in a LifePsyche session today!
DietPsyche 60 Hume Street NORMAN PARK Qld 4170 Australia
LifePsyche is offering a special package to celebrate you Being Who You Want To Be & Creating the Best Life you Could Have Our "Life By Design"" package focuses on identifying what is important in your life, the steps you need to achieve those changes, & the strategies you need to maintain the motivation to succeed. Book in for a 7-session individual personal development course today, & pay for only 5 sessions! Medicare & Private Health rebates may apply. CALL (07) 3843 1750
Talk to Jean about booking in a LifePsyche session today!
DietPsyche 60 Hume Street NORMAN PARK Qld 4170 Australia 
