Got goals for 2015?

Whether or not you make full-fledged resolutions, you may find yourself looking at the opportunity to take on personal challenges or dreams in the New Year.

Many people avoid making resolutions, because it takes so much willpower to follow through, and the natural limits of willpower can leave us feeling bad when it runs out.

Let’s avoid relying on willpower alone to make the change we want to see.  Here is one simple way to help you plan changes that increase positive feelings about the effort involved.

Slow down and take a look at what you say to yourself. Everyone has negative thoughts. But not everyone takes time to become aware of what they really say to themselves, or how they act afterward. Studies show that negative self-talk is linked to more negative behavior, and positive self-talk drives more actions that we feel better about doing.

Keep a notebook to jot down the things you say to yourself during the day.  Don’t judge them – just note them.  Later, look at the positive ones, and the negative ones.  Think about how you can replace the negative thoughts with something positive.

This may be hard at first, and you may have to stretch out of your comfort zone or old sense of yourself to try on some new ideas. But that’s the point, isn’t it?

All of us at the Mount Vernon Family Therapy Center wish you a Happy New Year.