Showing posts with label life coaching article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life coaching article. Show all posts

Monday, January 05, 2015

Resolutions Versus Goals: The Difference

Resolutions Not The Same As Goals 

These terms are often confused, and many think that making a resolution is the same as setting a goal. Worse - these resolutions are often made without a clear understanding how to make them work effectively, and precisely what they are an undertaking to do. So when they fail ... it firms up any belief that we might have or secretly suspect, that "Goals/Resolutions don't work".

People work.

Goals and resolutions both, are just methods used to facilitate a desired outcome. One in the longer term (future) and one that happens right now!

So goals and resolutions are not the same thing. But how do they differ?

To make a resolution is to decide right now to do something or stop doing something. It takes no planning - any consideration is already done.

Setting goals effectively requires planning, determining the ecology of the goal - so that you achieving one goal doesn't cost you in other ways you didn't expect.

Goals should ideally be part of a comprehensive plan to improve all areas of life so that they are compatible and not counter productive.

That means attention to detail on:
  • What you want to set as a goal and achieve
  • Time frame in which to do it 
  • That it is reasonable and has some capacity to be achievable
  • That you have the resources available to achieve the goal
  • That you have a way to know when you have achieved the goal and 
  • HOW you will go about achieving the goal - the steps needed. 


By contrast a resolution we can decide to do right now.

It is a determination to stop doing something we are doing now. Or start doing something we are not doing now.

Resolutions work hand-in-hand with goals.

Here's an example. We may have a goal to makeover our home in a new design. But we don't have the money to do everything at once so we may work on the goal and in the process resolve to:
  • Get rid of old boxes from the garage that have been there since the last move. 
  • Throw out or give away clothing that is in the closet that does not fit any more. 
  • Ensure that everything we keep has a place for it to be stored easily and make that space for it.
By following through on these resolutions that we can do right now, we are also working toward making our goal happen. 

Another example might be to set a goal to lose weight.  That's not going to happen all at once and will need some planning and goals set to formulate a way for this to be achieved. 

But in the meantime we can resolve to: 
  • Stop buying packets of snack food at the supermarket (reduce temptation at home)
  • Have three meals a day
  • Keep some nuts or carrot sticks in the refrigerator in case you feel like a snack
  • Cook meals 
  • Not buy takeaway dinners 
  • Buy vegetables and fixings for making meals from scratch. 
  • Learn how to cook 3 new recipes to empower us to have healthy meals (if we have not been cooking until now)

Resolutions - Make Them Easy To Be Good At! 

Resolutions don't have to be hard. Make them easy things that you can see work and get practice at achieving the things you promise yourself when you resolved to do that thing, (or to stop doing that thing).

Small Changes Big Impact 

It is amazing how much progress we can make to improving our life just by starting with a resolve to tidy up all those easy things that are just minor annoyances in life or subtle changes in our habits that have been stopping us from having our life be the way we would prefer.

Sure there may be big things too. A resolution carried out gives us confidence in our ability to do what we say we will do. That's important to maintain our credibility with others but perhaps even MORE important that we know we can rely on our word to ourselves.

So - what's the easy thing you can resolve to do today that will make a difference to your success this year?

Related articles on Goals






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 Lindy Asimus Business Coaching
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Wednesday, December 03, 2014

New Habits Feed Motivation For New Behaviours


Want to get motivated? Try some new habits!

Here's something that might surprise you. What you think motivates you... probably doesn't.

We have a lot of ideas about who we are, what drives us. What prevents us from doing the things we profess to want to do. The sobering truth is that we people are really not that good at separating what we think we do and our actual behaviour. Some social psychology studies reveal interesting myths we tend to believe and it is far different than what actually changes behaviour.

Goals and Motivation

Some look at motivation as something that we go to a workshop or seminar to 'fill up our tank' with motivation. The problem with that is that after the expensive seminar, we are back home and leaking motivation till the tank is empty again.

Rather than look outside ourselves for motivation, it is more useful to find that essence inside that connects with that is truly of value to us at a core level.

Setting goals for things that don't matter is pretty pointless. If it is just stuff that has no meaning, put it on a shopping list or drop it altogether. Pretending to set goals we have no intention of changing our habits in order to achieve just trains us to be unreliable, untrustworthy and all that does is erode self esteem.  If you are not going to do something, own it. When we make promises we have no intention to honour we erode our self respect. Whether we know it or not.

Be clear on what it is you want
Be clear on what purpose having what you want achieves for you.
Be clear on what not having this will mean for you and those around you.
Be clear on the steps that need to happen and the order in which you will carry them out in order for this to happen.
Budget for whatever resources you need to make this happen. That might be in money or time, or both.

Set Your Expectations And Make New Habits.

If you are setting out to achieve a change in your behaviour then you will be looking to isolate the current habits that you have which are preventing you from getting the results that come with the new behaviour.  Once you have identified the habits that are stopping you - then you need to identify a new set of habits that underpin your new behaviour and assist you to reach your intended outcome. Work this through to make sure this new habit has the potential to do what it needs to do for you. That taking on this new habit will achieve the resulting behaviour but won't create unintended downside effects that make problems or add stress to your life or for those around you.

Let's look at an example.

Say you feel pudgy and tired all the time and stressed out. You want to get more physically active but time is a pressure for you. You don't feel like you have any time to yourself and if you take time to go for a walk or other activity then you will be putting pressure on your partner to manage the household alone.

 New Behaviour

You want to walk for half an hour
Take time to meditate for ten minutes
Get ready for work without being rushed.

The Why - Purpose: Is to feel better, less stressed and more in control of life.

New habit: Set the alarm for an hour earlier and take this time to do whatever is required for your new behaviours.

Previously, you set the alarm for 6.30 am.

Now you set the alarm for 5.30 am. And you get up when it goes off.

Feel like you are missing out if you don't get a bit of a sleep in? Set it for 5. 10 and be up and out of bed by 5.25 am. Refreshed.

Sabotaging Your Adult Self

Now what happens, some people will look at the idea of getting up at 5.30am as a kind of punishment. Something that your parents might make you do, like you are a little kid. Like a little kid you might be tempted to "cheat" and oversleep.

But there is nobody to cheat. Only you.

New Habits

Now you are walking each morning
Taking time to meditate and reflect on life
Clearing the time to get ready for work at a leisurely pace
Not taking time away from your other commitments

A Gift To Yourself 

Getting an extra hour a day just for you, is a long way from a punishment. It is the greatest gift that you can give yourself. A whole hour to just do your thing without being required to do anything else for anyone. No obligations, no expectations from others, just a set of things for you to do, that gets you the results that you want, and makes life easier and your energy more abundant.

Now that's something to get you motivated, and rewarded!

Resolutions - They are not the same as goals! 
How to set goals you will reach
When you want to be motivated - use your habits to help! 




Like to discuss your business?
 Call me on 0403 365 855 or
 Lindy Asimus Business Coaching
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

What Do You Stand For?




Some years ago we had a news scandal about an unsavoury incident involving a football team on a tour to NZ  some years before which raised the topic of what is acceptable behaviour in sport, but more widely in the community. The reports have been revealed what is coyly described as ‘consensual sexual encounter’. Well so far as it was stated originally, the consent extended to the single man named and now paying some price for his now very  public infidelity, and his involvement in what turned out to be something other than a simple one night stand.

Specifically, it turned into something other than this, when eleven team mates and various hangers-on decided to get in on the act.

So far, the former player (the one with the consent  – from the 19 year old woman, if not his wife...) has taken the hit for the team. Well that’s the point is it not? Team bonding and all that means that the team is the thing and you don’t ‘rat’ on your mates. Where that fits insofar as the mates letting a team member take responsibility for their involvement to alone face the consequences, is however understandable it may be, cowardice. Were it the case that this man had in mind that the other members would enter the room then that would seriously compound his error and compromise his integrity even further. If he did not invite them in then it becomes even more shameful that they leave him alone to bear responsibility for their actions.

This specific case aside, it does beg the question ...What has happened to the standards that were once an easy measure for individuals to gauge their behaviour and actions? Where are the role models that will teach boys to be men of integrity? How does it come to pass that in this age of supposed enlightenment that women are still treated in this manner and more to the point, believe at some level that there is any reason to submit to such bullying? Consent? Really? Just supposing it were true the young woman did have poor judgement in this case, still yet that does not alter the fact that each and every man in that room had his own decision to make, and it would seem, each had little respect – or reason to have respect - for themselves, or anyone else in the team. Without question it is safe to assume that none of the men in that room would have been happy for their mother or sister to be treated the way that they treated that woman. So what possibly constituted the difference in their mind between she – and the women they would protect from such treatment in the normal course of events?

Beyond this sorry incident, is the broader question of what value we place on standing up and doing the right thing for the right reason. How different might this story have been had someone brought some positive leadership to the group.

In discussing this with a client this week, he related a story about travelling on an inter-city commuter train, packed with people just doing their best to endure the journey with as little friction as is possible in a train packed with commuters. A young man decided to inflict his loud opinions and blaring music on the rest of the passengers. One man requested that he be considerate and turn the music down. The youth returned the request with a hostile gesture. Minutes later the youth has moved down the aisle to where my client sat. He took this opportunity to upbraid him and let him know in no uncertain terms, that the passengers and he needed to be considerate one of the other and that his cooperation would make it a much better trip for all concerned. He motioned to the man who had asked for the music to be turned down, what he’d like to do with the music now. The man remained silent. Nobody on the train said a single thing to support him. Apparently then, all the passengers were consenting to being bullied.

In Australia we have had the notion of a fair go, and an expectation of reasonable behaviour as we live-and-let-live. Has that been a fantasy of the imagination? Has this really been worth nothing... or have we just turned our back on this concept as being worthy of keeping in our present age?

Does it really, not matter at all, how we behave to one another?

I for one, hope not.

As our society moves away from the two parent home, we see more and more children raised in homes without a male parent. The examples that the parents set, in what the children absorb about how relationships work, how people treat each other would seem to be changed now, compared to the past. Many things that would have been frowned upon, are now found to be commonplace. The old rules are thrown out, but what are the new rules?

We’re learning something now of what the former football team regards as reasonable behaviour. It isn’t pretty.

In America, many are fond of a question WWJD – What would Jesus Do.

My question to you, is What Would You Do?

What are the things for which you are prepared to stand up? Even when they are difficult.

Especially when they are difficult.

A quote to which I subscribe says:

“What I am is the result of all the choices I have made or allowed others to make for me. What I choose is what I am”

Choose well.

What do you think?



















Lindy Asimus
Business Coach & Social Media Development
Design Business Engineering

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