From Resolutions to Real Solutions:5 Tips for Creating a New You in the New Year
By PRWEB


The old approach to New Year's Resolutions--"take baby steps," for example--just doesn't work. Here are five new
strategies, based on the revolutionary coaching advice in "The Health Seeker's Handbook."

EAST AMHERST, NY (PRWEB) December 9 2003--As New YearÂ’s Day approaches, the hearts and minds of those committed to
self improvement naturally turn to New YearÂ’s resolutions, with the instinct and determination of a flock of geese
turning south for winter.

Bob Merberg, Founder of the Center for Personal Health Coaching and author of "The Health SeekerÂ’s Handbook," offers
five original tips for making New YearÂ’s resolutions stick:

1. Think big. Everyone will tell you to take baby steps. But baby steps yield baby results. Be bold with your
resolutions and motivation will naturally follow. If youÂ’ve never been an exerciser, donÂ’t just resolve to start a
fitness program, resolve to finish a 5-mile road race before the year is out (or a marathon, if youÂ’re already in
good shape). Or, instead of resolving to save 10% of your income, resolve to double your income. As the saying goes,
"if you can dream it, you can do it."

2. Go public. Your resolution neednÂ’t be a secret. In fact, announce it to as many people as you can. Post it on a
big bright flier in your office or cubicle. Or keep a blog (web-log) of your progress.

3. Get help. Join a support group, hire a coach or trainer, enlist a friend to help you in whatever way you may need
it. Include role models — people who have made the same change you’re making — in your network.

4. Create space. DonÂ’t try to shoehorn your resolution into everything youÂ’re already doing. Make space for it in
your life by letting go of other projects and tasks. Resolve not to do some of the things youÂ’ve been planning, such
as taking a class, making home improvements, or starting a new hobby.

5. Anticipate setbacks. Be positive even when you realize youÂ’ve reverted to old behaviors. Lapses are opportunities
to refine your plan so that you stick with it as you get back on track. You may need more support, less stress, or
something else. Remember, setbacks are the rule, not the exception. Incorporating them into your plan is a key step
toward transforming resolutions into real solutions.

"Some people give up on their New YearÂ’s resolutions before theyÂ’ve even started," Merberg notes. "They need to
realize that New YearÂ’s resolutions can genuinely elicit permanent change. The important thing is to plan and
strategize appropriately, and not to rely exclusively on willpower."

Bob Merberg has used innovative coaching models to help self improvers break through to their goals for more than 15
years. He is a faculty member for Wellcoaches Corporation, a graduate of Coach University, and holds a MasterÂ’s
degree in Exercise Science and Community Health. His new book, "The Health SeekerÂ’s Handbook" (Well Lit Books,
November 2003, $14.95) — which includes loads of practical strategies just like Merberg’s five New Year’s resolution
tips — is available via bookstores nationwide and from online retailers. More information about the book is available
at http://www.healthseekershandbook.com (http://www.healthseekershandbook.com).

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