3 Ways to Keep Your Resolutions and Build Self-Confidence

Keeping with your resolutions a month into the new year can be challenging, but those who manage to stick it out after January have more success. Our friends at YourTango have shared ways to stay strong and build confidence through the year.

No more failures for you!

Keeping your New Year's resolutions builds self-confidence. Unfortunately, studies show only 8 percent of people succeed after the first few weeks.

Here are three excellent ways to set yourself up for success … even after you see your resolution enthusiasm fading.

1. Switch it up and dump the R-word.

If you are one of the 92 percent who consistently fail to keep their resolutions, you have unintentionally programmed your subconscious mind to believe that resolutions equal failure.

And here's something you need to know — your subconscious mind runs the show!

It stores your underlying beliefs and emotional baggage (it's okay, we all have it), which greatly influence your day-to-day life and future.

Simply replace the R-word with a word that is not wrapped in negative emotions.

"Intention" is a great alternative. It implies a combination of wanting and expecting, which are both positive and empowering.

2. Make your intention believable so you will stop sabotaging yourself.

Many people resolve to lose 20, 30, or 50 pounds in the new year. If that's not you, this example can be applied to anything, so stick with me here.

First of all, your subconscious mind probably doesn't believe you when you say you are going to lose 30 pounds. However, it WILL believe that you can donate or release THREE pounds.

When you weigh two pounds less, set a new intention to donate 3 more pounds. That is both believable and doable. Unless, of course, you're still calling it "losing weight," which will definitely sabotage your success and self-confidence.

Here's how that works ...

What do you do when you lose something?

You go and look for it to get it back, right? And here comes that weight again, except now there's extra because your subconscious mind wants to be prepared in case you lose it again. It's the same principle as getting a spare key made after you lock your keys in the car the first time.

If you want to get rid of something (including weight), call it "releasing" or "donating."

See how the picture in your mind is more empowering? You are giving it away ... for good.

A lot of people resolve to get in shape at the gym — when the only time they've ever stepped foot in one is to purchase a membership they never used. If this is you, plan to work out once per week. And then twice per week. And so on. Start slow and give yourself time to build up in a healthy way.

Those of us who work out regularly see crowds of people swarming the gym, hiking trails, yoga classes, etc. from January 1st to mid-February. After that, 92 percent of these "resolutioners" disappear because they have burned themselves out by taking on too much at once, reducing their self-confidence.

This goes for anything from writing a book you've had in your head for decades to finding your soulmate.

Take it slow. Make it doable.

You deserve to succeed and feel healthy — mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

3. Empower yourself by starting over instead of quitting.

Obviously, the beginning of a year is a compelling time to start something new, but you can push the restart, refresh, or reboot button at the beginning of any month, week, day, or hour!

Just pick one, create a new intention, and start over.

Once I started my entire day over at 5 pm because I felt completely unproductive. Playing "beat-the-clock" made it a fun game, and I got more accomplished in the next four hours than I would have on any normal day. I felt clear, confident, and successful, and slept very peacefully that night.

You can do the same. In fact, you DESERVE to do the same!

Set your believable intention and start again where you left off as many times as you need to.

It's about personal progress and self-confidence, not perfection.

Have fun with it!

Author Kelly Rudolph is the founder of Positive Women Rock and creator of the Inner Power Breakthrough for women ready to quickly and easily release emotional baggage and go from stuck and stressed to clear and confident. Connect with her and begin getting her free Life Strategies TODAY.

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