The secret to successful change

How to make your resolutions stick

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about the secret to successful change. That
is acknowledging that life is going to change far less

(00:25):
than we think it will. January one is a day
like any other day when you know that you see
what truly can change, and ultimately that is empowering. Lots
of people set New Year's resolutions in late December for

(00:46):
whatever reason. We believe that the clean slate of the
new year will inspire us to live in a way
that we haven't lived before. I am not saying it
never happens, but I have also noticed that it doesn't
happen often. And that is true for a very simple reason.
Nothing is actually going to change in January. You are

(01:10):
going to be the exact same person you were before.
Your life is going to be the same unless you
are making a huge change like moving or getting a
new job or going back to school. January three is
a Monday. This year, it will be a normal Monday.
January four, there is a normal Tuesday, and if something
didn't happen on let's say Monday, December, there's no real

(01:34):
reason that two weeks later, the stars will have aligned
any differently. Whatever scheduled constraints existed before will still be there.
Challenges modulate at times, but they tend to be replaced
with fresh ones reliably enough. Perhaps this sounds depressing, but
it doesn't have to be. Instead, if you want to

(01:57):
do something in January, when you know that nothing changes
in January, you can ask yourself a different question, When
could I do this thing today? As in now? If
you want to go to the gym more regularly, ask
yourself when you could go today. If you want to

(02:19):
eat more healthfully in the new year, ask what that
would look like at today's meals. If you want to
take a month off from drinking alcohol, ask how that
would play out in light of tonight's dinner with clients.
Perhaps there is simply no way that the intention could
happen today. That's fine, but understand that life won't look

(02:42):
any different in January. If it is impossible today, then
perhaps the intention isn't reasonable for your life. Good to
now best to change the expectation. But hopefully this question
will put you in a or problem solving practical state

(03:02):
of mind. When could you go to the gym today.
If you look at your schedule and think creatively, maybe
you could pull it off, or maybe you can come
up with another idea, like going for a long walk
at lunch. You see that the intention is better framed
as just being more active. You test out asking for

(03:24):
seltzer at the bar with your client and you see
that nobody bats an eyelash. This would give you more
confidence for future social or business situations. If something can't
happen today, there is a good chance it won't happen
in the future. But if you can make it happen today,

(03:45):
then that will give you some practice with your intention.
You can hone the skills necessary to make it happen
in the future too. So that is the secret of
successful change. Ask if you can do it today, make
it happen today, and then you will be able to

(04:05):
make it happen in the new year as well. In
the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's
to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd
love to hear from you. You can send me your tips,

(04:27):
your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's B e
the number four then Breakfast p O D. You can
also shoot me an email at before Breakfast podcast at
i heart media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled

(04:47):
out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look
forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio,
visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.