We all feel it! The turning of the page. A new beginning. And with the New Year often come resolutions; a focus on what we don’t want and a goal to change it.

Last New Year’s Eve, when the clock struck midnight, my client Pamela resolved to lose 10 pounds. Like many of us, she had lost and gained these same 10 pounds again and again. At the start of the year she made progress, but as the year went on she gained the weight back, plus 3 extra pounds as well.

Most of us can relate to Pamela’s story. So, what’s the missing piece that leads us from resolution to long term success?

As stated by Jeralyn Brossfield, MD, “Focus on the problem and we tend to advance and then reverse in our progress. Focus instead on what we want, begins an endless (positive) pattern that is sometimes described as a repeated cycle of action – result – evaluation – adjustment.”

When we define our goals by what we want rather than what we don’t want, we’re aligning with a vision rather than a problem. Add the reason why we want it and we have a winning formula for long-term goal success.

Pamela decided to redefine her goal and considered why she wanted to lose weight. She recognized that what she really wanted was to feel lighter, healthier and more inspired each day. She designed daily actions that supported these goals in all aspects of her life, not just in diet. And by the end of the year she had lost 10 pounds and kept it off.

To have an extraordinary year, answer these four questions to reveal your passions, your motivation, your strengths, and what’s in the way for you right now.

Define your gifts: Name three things you do well and feel inspired by doing.
Recognize your successes: What were your three greatest accomplishments this past year and what was your motivation for accomplishing them?
Acknowledge your tests: What was the hardest thing you had to overcome this year and what did it teach you?
Admit your challenges: Name three things you’ve been procrastinating to complete for weeks, months, or even years, and why you haven’t acted yet.

Most people are much closer to achieving what they want than they know. Do the work to get clear and enlist systems of support to keep you on track when old patterns set in.

There are resources all around you. Once you’re clear, find the most interesting person in the room and begin a conversation. You never know how sharing your vision might spark the flame of creativity.

Laya Raznick is a certified holistic health coach guiding experienced women to release limiting stress patterns so they can relax and live with more inspiration, joy, and ease. Laya can be reached at (760) 512.3399. www.layaraznick.com.