It’s that time of year again–the New Year. Aka. the time for embracing our fresh starts. And often, we believe these fresh starts will come from embracing resolutions that we set for ourselves. 

Every year we create a new ambitious list of goals accompanied by a set of rules that, if we can just “be good” and abide by, then our whole lives will change this year. 

But then, as the year starts, we often begin to feel overwhelmed and directionless without a plan. Then, after we feel like we’ve failed one too many times, we ultimately give up. 

And unfortunately, even with the goals we do find success with, we are never able to feel the satisfaction of achieving them because we never really know when we’re there. 

This is because we’re often setting what are called abstract goals. We want to “Get healthier”, “Be more productive”, “Lose weight”, or “Make more money”, but these goals leave us feeling unfulfilled because even when we make real and meaningful headway towards them, we can never say we’ve reached them. 

In this blog, we’re going to unpack the implications of New Year resolutions, how to recognize and rewrite limiting beliefs, how to set powerfully aligned intentions, know your why, set SMART goals, and know the 13 principles for success. 

New Year Resolutions 

The term “Resolutions” has a negative connotation to it that implies something is fundamentally wrong with the way we naturally operate, and live our daily lives. 

This idea that our habits and lifestyle are things that need to be fixed or resolved can cause us a lot of shame. Subconsciously, as we set goals like “Get healthier”, “Be happier”, or “Make more money”, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to really think about our intentions behind it all–our WHY–and set goals that are as much ambitious as they are achievable.

And, for most of us, trying to change too much too fast ends up being a recipe for burnout. Ultimately, year after year, when nothing changes, we feel like we failed rather than realizing that we did our best, we just weren’t setting ourselves up for success. 

So, let’s do this year differently. 

Are you ready? 

Before Setting Goals–Recognize Your Limiting Beliefs 

To set yourself up for success, you need to make sure that you don’t get stopped before you even get started. This is what limiting beliefs will do. 

Limiting beliefs can sound like:

“I’m not smart enough to…” 

“I don’t have enough money to…”

“I don’t have the willpower to…”

“Things are always so hard for me…”

“I’m unlucky…”

“I’ve always been this way…”

“I haven’t been able to do it before, so how could I do it now?” 

These beliefs are fundamental. And, while they’re often created when we’re children, we hold on to them until we can recognize them, and choose to let them go and create new beliefs. Ones that align with who we are working to become.  

When you encounter a limiting belief, challenge it. Ask yourself if this belief is coming from fact or from fear. See if you can find out where the belief comes from, and if you find that it was formed a long time ago, ask yourself–does it still make sense for me to hold this belief? If not, how can you rewrite the belief? 

Rewriting your limiting beliefs is the act of changing emotions tied to your experience with the purpose of changing your trajectory. For example, if you find that you believe you are inherently unworthy, why? And where did that belief originate from? If you find it originated from childhood, when maybe you found a piece of art you made in the garbage, does it still make sense for you–as the person you are today–to be holding onto that belief? When the answer is no, how do you rewrite that belief? 

Here’s how: 

First, you write something like: “When I was ___ years old, I found a piece of art I made in the trash. It made me feel like I was unworthy. I formed a belief about my worthiness, and I still carry it around today.” 

Then, you write something like: “I am ___ years old, I am worthy of love, success, happiness, and abundance in all areas of my life. My worth is not determined by my external circumstances, and is unwavering.” 

Then, maybe write it a few times over, and/or read it a few times over. But, most importantly, really feel into your new belief. The feeling is the key. 

Setting Powerful Intentions–and Knowing Why

Setting powerful intentions begins with knowing why you’re doing it. And having your why be deeply rooted, rather than surface level. 

Intentions are your truth, and they come from your heart. Your intentions are usually expressed in the form of abstract goals because you truly desire to be better at something, you desire to challenge yourself, and your intentions are beautiful and valid. So, rather than skipping over them, let’s take some time to explore them and see where they stem from, and what the WHY in your heart really is. 

So, start with your abstract goal, for example, “I want to make more money”, then ask yourself, “Why?”

Your reason may sound something like, “Because I want to feel secure in my ability to financially support myself and my family,” but why is that? What is the basis for that desire? Maybe that’s… “Because I love them, and myself.” 

The purpose of this exercise is to keep unpacking these whys until you get to the root. You’ll know when you get there because you will feel it in your heart, and it might even make you want to cry. 

Setting SMART Goals

SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. 

These types of goals allow you to feel the achievement of having met them. Because the plan is clear, the execution (or lack of execution) is clear, and you ultimately know when you have reached your goal. The great thing about this is it gives you insight into how or why you may not be reaching your goal, so it takes the frustration and shame out of it. 

So, instead of setting a goal to “be healthier”, determine why that matters to you. And then, once you do, take the time to really break it down to a SMART goal. 

Here is an example of how setting a SMART goal for “I want to be healthier” might look: 

1. Specific: 

My goal is to exercise.

2. Measurable: 

I will exercise for 30 minutes per day, three days out of the week. 

3. Achievable: 

When I have completed my four exercises for the week, I have achieved my goal. 

4. Realistic: 

I can fit this into my schedule by exercising after work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

5. Time-Bound: 

I will work on this goal for 3 months, after which I will re-evaluate and see if it should be edited in any way. 

SMART goals allow you to really be able to celebrate your wins, recognize your progress, and really think of a plan to fit your goals into your life for real. And if you do encounter temporary defeats, you will be able to determine how and where something went wrong. That way, you can stay empowered, and adjust your plan to continue setting yourself up for success. 

So, now, once we’ve set our intentions and our goals, how do we actually achieve them? 

13 Principles for Success: as Described in Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’

Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich, still holds the title of the number one bestselling success book of all time. This is because the 13 principles that are outlined, are sure to bring success to those who implement the principles mindfully and effectively. 

These 13 principles are Desire, Faith, Autosuggestion, Specialized Knowledge, Imagination, Organized Planning, Decision, Persistence, Master Mind, Sex Transmutation, The Subconscious Mind, The Brain, and the Sixth Sense.

1. Desire

Desire is the starting point for all achievements. Having a burning desire to win is essential to your success. Your desire needs to be definite. So you need to know why, and you need to have a desire strong enough that will fuel you forward even when you are tired, beaten down, or want to give up. 

2. Faith

This means, having faith in the truth that your desire will someday meet your reality. You must visualize and believe in the attainment of your desire.

3. Autosuggestion

Autosuggestion is the medium for influencing the subconscious mind. We practice autosuggestion by repetition, belief, and, most importantly, emotion. So, even if you repeat a million times the famous Emil Coué formula, “Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better” without mixing emotion and faith with your words, you will experience no desirable results. You must really feel the words, visualize your success, and become in alignment with the energy of that which you desire. 

4. Specialized Knowledge

Many people believe “Knowledge is power” but it is nothing of the sort. Knowledge is only potential power and only becomes power when it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end. The point is, that you must actually learn to organize and use your knowledge once you acquire it. 

5. Imagination 

Imagination is the workshop of your mind. This is where your desire is given shape, form, and action through the faculty of your imaginative mind. 

6. Organized Planning

You will encounter temporary defeat. Just as Thomas Edison encountered 10,000 temporary defeats along his quest to perfect the incandescent electric lightbulb before his efforts were eventually crowned with success. So, let this be your takeaway. Temporary defeat should mean only one thing–the certain knowledge that something is wrong with your plan. So, adjust your plan, build other plans, or even start all over again. Remain committed to your goal. 

7. Decision

An accurate analysis of over 25,000 men and women who had experienced failure disclosed the fact that a lack of decision was near the head of the list of the 30 major causes of failure. This is no mere statement of theory–it is a fact. Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy that practically everyone must conquer. 

8. Persistence 

Persistence is the sustained effort necessary to indulge faith. The basis of persistence is the power of will.

9. Power of the Master Mind 

The “Master Mind,” may be defined as a “coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” 

10. Sexual Energy Transmutation 

The emotion of sex is an “irresistible force”, against which there can be no such opposition as an “immovable body”. This energy is a major source of action. 

11. The Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind works day and night. It draws upon Infinite Intelligence for the power with which it voluntarily transmutes desires into their physical equivalent. 

12. The Brain 

In a study by Napoleon Hill with Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and Dr. Elmer R. Gates, it was concluded that every human brain works as a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thought. 

13. The Sixth Sense 

Otherwise known as the door to the temple of wisdom. This is the portion of the subconscious mind that has been referred to as the “creative imagination”. It has also been referred to as the “receiving set” through which ideas, plans, and thoughts flash into the mind. The “flashes” are sometimes called “hunches” or “inspirations”, or like here, called “whispers”. 

So, what can we take away from these foundational principles to apply them to our New Year’s intentions and goals? 

Applying the 13 Success Principles to Your New Year Intentions and Goals

Here are some questions to ask yourself to work through this process: 

1. Desire: What do I desire and why? How badly do I want to make this change? 

2. Faith: Do I truly believe that I will achieve this goal? Do I have faith in my ability to succeed? 

3. Autosuggestion: What do I truly believe about this? How do I feel about my beliefs? 

4. Specialized Knowledge: Do I know how to do this? If not, how can I learn? If so, how can I apply my knowledge to an actionable plan? 

5. Imagination: What is possible for me now? What will be possible for me when I reach my goal?

6. Organized Planning: What is my SMART goal? Do I have a detailed plan? When I encounter temporary defeats, how will I adjust my plan rather than give up? 

7. Decision: Will I procrastinate on my goal? How can I become better at making decisions that are in alignment with my goals? 

8. Persistence: How strong is my willpower for this? What am I willing to do, be, or overcome to reach this goal? 

9. Power of Master Mind: How can I create, or join, a community of people that are striving towards similar goals? 

10. Sexual Energy Transmutation: How can I become irresistibly attracted to creating my dream life? 

11. The Subconscious Mind: How can I send my intentions and plans to my subconscious mind to work with me on? 

12. The Brain: How can I tune into receiving higher vibrations of thought that will influence me to stay on my path to my goals and desires? 

13. The Sixth Sense: How can I connect more with the Universe? How can I strengthen my intuition? 

Remember, to celebrate your wins along the way. Even the small ones. 

As we approach the end of this blog, I’d like you to kindly bring your awareness to how far you’ve come even in this now moment reading this. It’s likely that you’ve already made a boatload of wonderful changes to your life. Can you recognize transformation and growth from who you were five years ago to who you are today? I bet your answer is yes. So, give yourself some credit for where you are, and continue to give yourself grace and acknowledgment of your progress along the way. Work these principles for success into your routine, and, don’t be afraid to celebrate your wins along the way. Even though you might not be exactly at your destination yet, you are on your way. And, you’ve come a long way. And that sure counts for something!  

Ready to Learn More? 

If you’d like to connect and chat more about these principles or learn how to set strong intentions and have faith in your journey, you can reach out using the link below. I look forward to connecting! Schedule a Call