“I could.”

“I should.”

“What the heck, why not.”

“This time I mean it!”

I promise.”“

I really need to do this.”

“I will.”

Chances are if you, at one time in your life made a resolution to change your behaviour. If you’ve set out to change any behaviour, you have worked your way through the above phrases.

However, if your change of behaviour did not last, my guess the phrase you did not include was “I must.” That was your downfall. To quote something I said in a previous blog, anything else is just playing at making a change.

The Habit of Being Resolute, the all-important “I must,”  will predict our chances of success whenever we embark on a voyage of change.

This habit is critical for weight loss, improving relationships, anger management, physical fitness and well-being, quitting smoking, and any behaviour you need to change. That’s because without it, we will readily fall victim to the myriad of temptations and excuses that always seem to stand between where we are and where we want to be.

 “Resolute” is defined as:
1. firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion.
2. characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc.

The world is filled with well-intentioned naysayers. We’ve all met them. You know, the ones who will always share with you how difficult it is to lose the weight and keep it off.

Or they will “insist” that Weight Watchers/ Jenny Craig/ Dr. Bernstein/ Nutrisystem/ Slimfast/ Dr. Atkins/ Fit for Life/ Food for Life/ The Cabbage Soup Diet/ The South Beach Diet/ The Banana Diet/ Starvation/ high carbs/ low carbs/ no carbs/ high fat/ low fat is the only program you should follow.

Resolution “Helpers”

These kinds of folks will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or that you should eat three meals a day, or four meals a day, or six meals a day, or fast.

Sometimes they will cajole you to have just a tiny slice, or try just a sliver, because everything in moderation is their diet strategy.

The Habit of Being Resolute will stand you in good stead in those times. Being resolute means being absolutely determined to reach your goal, and obliterating any barrier that dares to get in your way.

It means selecting whatever program or method you wish to use to achieve whatever your goal and then sticking with it.

All methods work equally well for those who are committed to stay the course, and don’t seem to work at all for those who are not.

The definition of discipline is to do what you know you need to do when you don’t feel like doing it, or to not do what know you shouldn’t do when you really feel like doing it.

It’s About Discipline

In other words, being resolute means being disciplined.

It means having singularity of focus in order to push to the side all the temptations to deviate “for just a moment.”

Being resolute is understanding that saying NO to what you really want today is saying YES to the tomorrow you dream of.

Being resolute drives those who wish to be thin to become thin, those who aspire to be great salespeople to become great salespeople, those who aspire to be awesome entertainers to become awesome entertainers, those who want to be successful business people to become successful business people. It means saying no to others so you can say yes to yourself.

Resolute means you always do the one thing that assures success regardless of hardship and barriers that stand in the way.

And that one thing is this: finish what you start. Most assuredly, not doing so is the single biggest contributor to failure.

Let’s make a habit of meeting like this.

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p.s.

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