Romane’s 10 Tips to Keep Your 2017 New Year Resolution Top resolutions include a desire to lose weight, stop smoking, exercise more, improve health and looks, improve relationships, and to make or save more money. Here are 10 helpful instructions to reach any goal: 1. Create a written plan with a specific, measurable, realistic goal. If more exercise is the goal, be gradual in increasing intensity and duration of exercise. Being over ambitious leads to disappointment, or even injury. Make the goal simple, such as resolving to lose 10 pounds (just ‘lose weight’ is too vague); to eliminate soft drinks, candy and chocolate; to walk Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Have your deodorant only available at the gym? To control spending, cut up credit cards and have monthly automated savings? Improve a relationship by setting aside specific times to be with a loved one? 2. Be accountable by making a verbal commitment to a few people. 3. Enlist support from a family member, friend, mentor, professional, a self-improvement class, a good book or self-help recording. 4. Be positive, and think “I know I can do this.” Have an intense focused mind set on what you should do, not what you should not do. For example, instead of thinking of not smoking, focus on deep breathing, or drinking more water. 5. Consider setbacks as learning experiences and do better next time. 6. Talk to people who have done what you want to do and model them. 7. Realize you have a choice, and going in the right direction reinforces your will power. 8. Reward yourself for small steps to success with perhaps a movie, a small gift, a new outfit, a visit to a friend, etc. 9. Several times a day, read a card with motivational reasons and benefits to stick to your plan: Have one on your mirror, and carry one in your wallet to read when waiting somewhere. Reading this just before you fall asleep strongly influences your subconscious mind. 10. Keep a Daily Progress Journal to evaluate and improve your plan for success. People wanting to lose weight often say “I blew my program” when they did well on 20 meals out of 21 during the week. That’s over 95% success! Many success coaches instruct others to start with easier goals to feel a sense of accomplishment. This gives confidence to achieve bigger goals. Sometimes it is best to focus all your mental energy on one major goal at a time, focusing on small steps. One brick at a time creates a building. Patience and calm persistence leads to success. Plan how you will deal with any obstacles that may arise. The key to my motivating methods is the use of hypnosis with people to intensely focus their mental powers on what they want; to boost their belief in themselves; to increase their self-love so they are totally dedicated to success; to instill positive self-talk, and to program mental success images into their subconscious mind so they imagine and feel that they have already succeeded. For more information on hypnosis, Romane’s seminars, recordings, books, and other helpful tips, visit www.vanceromane.com (stop smoking website) or www.romane.ca (weight control website) Wishing you happiness and fulfillment in 2017, Vance Romane M.V.P. Ltd. (Romane Seminars) Box 75177 White Rock, BC V4B 5L4 http://www.vanceromane.com