According to Forbes magazine, 92% of New Year’s Resolutions fail. We’ve all been there. We make a resolution, only to “tinker out” weeks later.
Picture this: It’s New Year’s Eve. It’s midnight. You're surrounded by the allure of the New Year’s Holiday; the fireworks, the sight of Ryan Seacrest, the ball dropping, and maybe a little too much bubbly. And after the kisses and the champagne, you proclaim to the world that this is the year you will _________________(fill in the blank).
Fast forward 6 weeks and that resolution is a distant memory.
Why do most New Years Resolutions fall flat on their face? Better yet, why do goals in general fail?
Answer: Thinking
That’s right. It all comes down to one thing, and one thing only—your Thinking. Faulty thinking spawns a tidal wave of feelings & behaviors that ultimately effect goal achievement and overall happiness.
fitness clubs hire seasonal help from January to March to handle the rise in “New Year’s resolution” clientele. As March rolls around, the resolutions have tanked and those fitness coaches are no longer needed.
Key to Goal Achievement/Happiness
The TFA concept is a fundamental component of cognitive-behavioral therapy and key to reaching goals and living in joy. The premise is simple:
If you wish to change the way you are feeling or behaving--you must first change the way you THINK.
The Secret Sauce
Although these 3 words (Think-Feel-Act) may seem a bit anti-climactic, they are the ingredients in the secret sauce that allows people to consistently reach their goals.
What you think about, you manifest. And because of this TFA formula and laws of attraction:
the hypochondriac becomes sick
the athlete who thinks they are unstoppable, sets the new record
despite the x-rays, the person who thinks they will heal—surely does
So let's only think about "what we want" with laser pinpoint focus.
Failure & Success Start as a Though
As you can see from the chart below, TFA has a way of changing over time. This person has conceded their own failure when their thinking shifts from "I can't wait to lose weight" to "I don't have time to workout".
Reach Goals With the 3 C's Formula
The 3 C’s is a simple formula that helps us to change our TFA to support our goals.
1. Catch: In order to do something about a problem, we must first identify the issue of concern. Much of our TFA occurs on autopilot, which can make “Thinking errors” a bit tricky to identify. The 3 C process requires that we slow things down and become aware of any thoughts, feelings, or actions that do not support our goals.
2. Challenge: After we have identified undesirable TFA, we must challenge faulty thoughts by asking;
Are my thoughts true?
Do my thoughts support my goals?
Are they healthy/legal?
Are they a good idea short-term and long-term? 10 minutes from now? 10 days? 10 years?
3. Change: The final step is to change undesirable thoughts to productive thoughts that support goals.
Here's an example of how to implement the 3 C's.
Reaching goals leads to crazy, unbridled, off-the-chart, total happiness & fulfillment!
Start by getting your thoughts aligned.
You're in the Driver's Seat
As you can see, people control their own thoughts (and feelings, and behaviors). This is GREAT news!
By choosing to be more aware and in control of our thoughts, we can stay balanced and aligned with our goals/intentions.