"New Year, New You" is a phrase you may hear a lot around this time of year. A new year is like a reset button and an explosion of motivation to make real and lasting change. However, if you go into a new year with old habits, you'll find you won't make much progress.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." —Aristotle
Make this year different and do everything in your infinite power to align your intentions with your actions and your mindset. In harmony, good habits naturally occur, and your brain will want to support this utopia.
These 5 steps will help you release bad habits and form new ones!
Step 1: Change Your Attitude & Your Approach
Trying to reinvent yourself overnight is not only overwhelming, it is self-sabotage. Be good to yourself and change your approach to making change. Whatever your goal may be, start small and be specific. Rather than saying, "This year I will eat healthier, go to the gym and lose 20 pounds!", make a plan of action like, "Gym: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. No carbs Tues/Thrs. Fresh veggies everyday...etc," and work on it daily. This will build your mind muscle power and send positive vibes to your brain of accomplishment. A happy brain, nurtured with positivity, works with you, not against you.
Step 2: Rewire to Reignite
Neurologically speaking, your brain is built for literally limitless change. So the path to change is there, you just have to cut through the trees to get to it. By changing your attitude and following through with actions that align with your goal, you rewire the brain's circuit board and support new habits.
Through hard work and positivity, these new connections will stabilize and become the new normal.
With repetition and the gratifying satisfaction of your actions, you will feel it becoming a more distinct pathway in your brain. This ignites the path for lasting change.
Step 3: Visualize to Materialize
Envisioning your goal on your mindscreen, or the observer's consciousness, is like daydreaming the future. When you imagine achieving a goal, how it would make you feel, and how you're going to get there, you are basically "faking it till you make it" by actually feeling the emotions of success. This makes the brain think "as if" you already have what you want and lives up to it.
The best time to visualize is in the morning. Your brain waves are still calm from sleep and haven't yet been ramped up by your daily duties. Close your eyes and use your imagination to paint exactly what you want.
Step 4: Choose Light
Change takes hard work and until rewired, your brain will try to revert back to its old habits, especially when your alarm goes off at 6am and it's 30 degrees outside. Mindfully observe this voice and choose to go in the opposite direction, towards the light. Choose to commit to change and to your daily goal, always working towards the grand prize. Exorcize negative thinking out of your mind with the power of choice.
Step 5: Reward Small Victories
What's hard work without a little reward? Each day is a small victory as you work toward achieving a goal. Whether you do something big or small, progress needs to be rewarded. The brain needs it, the heart needs it and the soul needs it. Celebrate and appreciate what you've accomplished and give yourself some love.
Change doesn't happen overnight, but it's in your absolute capability to create. Set your mind to it and achieve it, and don't settle for anything less than exactly what you want, no matter what it takes. In the end, you'll not only have achieved something great, but you will further grasp the true power you have to design your life.
For help discovering your power or putting it to use, Body & Brain Yoga centers offering 20% off all new regular memberships throughout January! Learn how to create and support positive change and habits in your life! There are locations across the country, click here to find one near you.