Janese Johnson

With the new year upon us, many look at their life in terms of desired change. What do we want to see different in our life this next year?

New Year’s resolutions are made with such certainty. Desires for a new love, new career, more money, less weight, healthier, are some of the changes that are often thought of.

How successful are we in creating the change that we desired the year before? Statistics show that less than 10 percent who make new year’s resolutions actually achieve them.

There are ways to assure a greater success in achieving desired changes. Most of us don’t change unless we are motivated or are sick of our life the way it is. By changing through motivation it takes a bit of attention and intention on the desired goal. It also takes consistent action to forge new thinking and ways into our mindset, and with our results.

Most of us want changes to come to us instead of doing what it takes to make the change happen. Yes, wonderful things can pop into our life, but often times we will be left wanting and waiting if that is the only way that we expect something good to come our way. If we really want positive change in our life, then we need to stand up and walk in the direction of the desired outcome.

If it is more abundance that is a goal, then create new streams of income or look into a new career direction. I have had some clients who have been complaining for years about their income, yet they are too afraid to change, and they are hoping something will magically appear to make everything better. But it is the fear that they are paralyzed with that is holding them back. They will likely have to get so sick of their situation before they desire for more money will overcome their fear of change.

We can see this often with the desire for weight loss or quitting a bad habit. In the beginning of the goal there is a lot of motivation to lose weight or quit smoking. When it starts to take a lot more focus and energy to continue the new life style, many give up, and figure that they will do it later. Basically what happened is that the discomfort of the change outweighed the desire for the new result.

What those who have succeeded with positive change in their life suggest is that it is very important to write our goal down in a clear way and simple way. That way it doesn’t feel like a far away idea or an abstract one. It is also recommended to make the goal reasonable. If we want to change our job, then have it in the plan to look at job opportunities at least once a week or something that can be maintained with success. What is important is that we can do something often and consistent in order to keep the momentum up. When the momentum is up and going, then we can actually become a magnet to the very changes that we desire.

If new love is the desired goal, then go to places where you are likely to meet someone like-minded. Often times change takes a bit of stretching, but the exciting part is that once we have stretched a little bit, life feels more full and exciting, and we then have the courage to stretch a little more. It first takes desire to start the change but then it takes courage to follow it through to the end result. It is courage that will become stronger in our nature when we continue being consistent on “on purpose” with our goal.

I have never met anyone who is completely happy with his or her life. Everyone has something they desire to see changed. Some have inward characteristics that they would like to see changed and some have outward situations, and some have both. The important thing is to not try to do too much because that is a set up for failure. Choose something that will stretch you, and that you can succeed with. Andy Warhol has said, “They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” So may you have a happy and positive changing 2008!
•
Janese Johnson has been doing intuitive counseling nationally for more than 20 years. She may be contacted at janesej-at-buncombe.main.nc.us.