Below is part of an interview with Annette du Toit titled Make Predictions, Not Resolutions.

As I was getting ready to pen down some of my own thoughts on New Year’s resolutions, I came upon Annette’s interview. What she expressed in her interview almost perfectly captured some of the things I also wanted to say on the subject and so I knew I had to share this interview with you.

Annette du Toit is the leading Mind-Body Wellness coach in South Africa, a speaker, an Internationally Accredited Louise Hay Master Trainer, Reiki Master, EFT practitioner and co-founder of the website Secret2LoveYourLife.com.

To listen to this interview in it’s entirety, please go here:

http://www.secret2loveyourlife.com/conversations.htm

To read the transcript in it’s entirety, please go here:

http://www.secret2loveyourlife.com/converstranscript01.htm

Interview with Annette du Toit by Tina Cook of http://www.secret2loveyourlife.com

Our topic for today is:
MAKE NEW YEAR’S PREDICTIONS, NOT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!
This sounds fantastic! Annette let’s start straight away.

Why are we motivated to make New Year’s Resolutions in the first place?

Annette: Well Tina, I think that the first thing is that it is traditional – we’ve been doing it all our lives and we feel we SHOULD be making New Year’s Resolutions.

And … Most people also want to make a difference in their lives – they want to change.

They want to exercise regularly.
They want to – loose weight.
They want to – quit smoking or drinking.
They want to – get out of debt.
Some of them even want to start a new business.

But keeping these New Year’s resolutions can be more than a little challenging.

Most people don’t even bother to make New Year’s resolutions any more because they have become despondent because they never stick to them, which make them feel horribly guilty, that they are a failure and they can never complete anything successfully.

Tina: You know I read somewhere that over 80% of New Year’s resolutions are history within the first 30 days of making them and another 10% in the following 30 days fall by the wayside. So we are in good company here. So that means that only 10% of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions.

Hey Annette! Throw some light on the subject! Please help us here. What’s the secret?

Annette: The problem is wide spread.

Just look at the health clubs and gyms. From January 2 they are packed for the first week. You battle to get onto a cardio machine. But go two weeks later…and the gym is half empty.

For me the reasons are obvious.

Firstly, there are unconscious ‘counter resolutions’ within us… and until we discover what they are we will not fulfill our new year’s resolutions. FOR INSTANCE – I say I want to quit smoking and immediately the little voice in my head comes up with a ‘counter resolution’ and it says ‘NO! – NO! – you can’t give up smoking, it helps you to relax’. OR, ‘it helps you deal with stress’, OR ‘you tried it before and it’s too difficult’!

So that ‘little voice’ is actually sabotaging your New Year’s Resolutions.

The Second reason we don’t keep our New Year’s resolutions, is that they are not backed by the right mental preparation and conditioning. Most resolutions are made on impulse and are not well thought out.

So you end up feeling deprived and hard done by instead of feeling inspired and empowered to take action. Think of loosing weight – most people feel deprived! No more chocolate!

We also have a tendency to overestimate what we can do. If you want to lose 30 pounds and your New Year’s resolution is to do it in 3 months, you are setting yourself up for failure. However if you say ‘I’ll lose 30 pounds by the end of the year….’ Chances are that you will.

And the third reason why people fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions, is that they are primarily based on quick fixes – quick fixes, which are more about what people, DON’T want in their lives rather than on what they DO want to BE, DO and HAVE.

Q. So Annette how do we do this thing differently? How do we make [2009] the best year of our life?

Annette: Firstly, you throw out New Year’s Resolutions – simply throw them out and put them to rest once and for all: There are many more effective and fun ways to bring about change:

One of them is to Make New Year’s predictions…

Tina: It’s a whole change of emphasis.

Annette: Yes, it’s a different way of thinking – you see the word ‘resolution’ comes from a patriarchal system of ‘I am not good enough and therefore I should change (and then we keep criticizing ourselves and feel guilty when we cannot keep our resolutions).

The word ‘prediction’ on the other hand is a statement or claim that a particular event will occur in the future. It gives you the opportunity to choose what you really, really WANT to BE, DO and HAVE and then … YOU generate powerful and inspirational INTENTIONS to achieve your
predictions. It is like notifying the universe of the shape of things to come – Way more fun!

The time of intense struggle and relying upon will power, resolve and persistence is over and it’s time to learn to live a lot more effortlessly and purposefully.

And you don’t have to wait for the 1st of January!! Every day of every year is the 1st day of your life – a new year! A new start. And you can set Intentions for yourself every day!

Tina: But how do I get past that little voice in the head?

Annette: That’s a very good question. I would say START with having a GOOD RIDDANCE DAY! Get rid of your old self-sabotaging conditioning and programming about New Year’s Resolutions, Negative belief systems that I am not good enough, I am a failure, the ‘no pain, no gain’ belief, that without effort and struggle, you will most certainly fail, etc,. Get rid of old resentments and anger, your destructive and damaging Actions FOR INSTANCE: DO you abuse your body? Are you living above your means? Are you carrying Shame for something you did in the past? And anything else that you want to dump and get RID OF IT FOR GOOD AND FOR ALL!

Often we start off the year with a spring clean. We clean out the garage, clothes cupboards, our office – so what about spring-cleaning our emotional issues? There are many ways to do this – through regular meditation, or joining a support group or attending a transformational workshop. Naturally, I’d love you to join one of my workshops and if you can’t then find one near you. Just do it!

It is so important to get rid of your self-sabotaging emotional baggage that you have been carrying – just set your self free.

Forgive the people you need to forgive including yourself and then make a deliberate CHOICE to change. It is a choice.

Once you have made your choice you need to make a Commitment and a promise to yourself.

If you are not committed and you don’t make that promise to yourself, it is not possible to succeed in moving your life forward – you stay stuck exactly where you are.

The greatest promise you’ll ever keep is the promise you make to yourself … It’s your own personal test of integrity – thinking, saying and doing the same thing. When you’re out of integrity, you’re fragmented and lack harmony in your life physically, mentally and spiritually.

Tina: Annette, that sounds amazing. That makes so much sense and that clarify so many things.

Annette: Yes, COMMITMENT is also a choice and you decide that you want to be prosperous and abundant. Or you decide that you want to loose weight or start a business.

The Latin word for decision is ‘decidere’ which means ‘to kill off any other alternatives’. The definition for commitment is: ‘To devote oneself unreservedly.’

So when you say ‘I am truly committed to creating this end result, you are devoting yourself unreservedly to being willing to go all the way, giving 100% of all you’ve got to achieve your result.

You have to do whatever it takes, regardless of how long it takes, without any excuses, reasons why it can’t. No ifs and buts, no maybes. Regardless of risks involved and sacrifices. In spite of fear, doubt and worry, uncertainty and inconvenience. In spite of discomfort.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

COMMITMENT requires unconditional focus and courage. It is the act of binding yourself intellectually and emotionally to a course of action. COMMITMENT sets you free. Once you commit, the universe will pull out all stops to support you and you no longer have to have endless mind chatter as to whether you do it or not do it, and on and on.

John D. Rockefeller put it so well: ‘The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it — every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have.’

Now that you are committed to change, it’s time to CLARIFY your New Year’s INTENTIONS.

SO you say you want to exercise regularly. What does regularly mean? Once a week? Twice a week? 3 times?
What kind of exercise is it going to be? Maybe going to gym doesn’t blow your hair back… so is it going to be yoga, or Pilates, or Nia or belly dancing? And if it is the gym – will it be weight lifting, water aerobics, spinning? And only after you have done this clarification exercise will you be ready to make your New Year’s INTENTIONS.

To read or listen to the rest of this interview and learn more about Annette, go here:

http://www.secret2loveyourlife.com/conversations.htm

What did you appreciate about this interview? How might this information help you in 2009?

Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to leave your comments and questions.

Alicia Castellano, CHHC, AADP

Alicia is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor with a passion for helping others transition into a healthy lifestyle and create extraordinary lives for themselves. She lives in Houston,Texas where she runs a private practice. Alicia loves to dance, loves music and has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and learning.

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