Why New Year’s Resolutions Do Not Work – But Can with NLP!

Why New Year’s Resolutions Do Not Work – But Can with NLP!

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Research suggests that within a few weeks, the New Year resolutions have fallen by the wayside, all but forgotten.

Why New Year’s Resolutions Do Not Work – But Can with NLP!
New Year is a perfect time, or so you would think, to make those all important changes in your life. From stopping smoking to being more active, New Year resolutions are made by many people.

But, they don’t last. Research suggest that within a few weeks, the resolutions have fallen by the wayside, all but forgotten.

The reasons why resolutions don’t work

Resolutions are about making a change. Breaking one routine and attempting to replace it with an-other may, on the surface, seem like an easy thing to do.

And yet, as soon as the first hurdle or obstacle looms, the resolution fades away and here are five common reasons why:

#1 Emotional investment is lacking
We all know we should eat healthier/eat less/exercise more/not be as stressed and so on but un-less you feel the desire deep down inside of you to make a change, it can seem like an uphill battle right from the start.

#2 Unwillingness to raise standards
Everyone has different standards and desires when it comes to certain facets of life. Someone who gets up at 5 am for a morning run has a high dedication than someone who does no exercise at all. Making a change or sticking to a resolution may mean upping your dedication to a cause.

#3 Hedging your bets
It is a common phrase and this means holding on to something, ‘just in case’. For example, quitting smoking is a common New Year’s resolution but you don’t throw ashtrays away, just in case. If you decide to make a change, burn your boats, get rid of stuff and you will find a way to make it hap-pen.

#4 Lacking in internal motivation
Frankly, if your mo-jo to make a change is not in place, it ain’t gonna happen. To make a change and follow through with it, you need to have a strong emotional desire.

#5 You don’t believe you can change
What is often lacking is the self-belief that change is possible. This can be a negative cycle that many people are caught in. As soon as something happens that potentially thwarts the ‘new you’, you slip back into old ways.

How can NLP help?

There is help at hand with NLP courses which can be instrumental in helping people to make per-sonal and professional changes. NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a behavioural modification technique that came to prominence in the 1970s. Used by psychiatrists, psychologists, managers, counsellors and so on, NLP is a popular tool in the workplace. It is also used by many people in their personal lives and relationships too.

Essentially, it is a tool to initiate and motivate personal and positive changes. It focuses on the con-nection between mind and language, assessing how this connection affects both the body and be-haviour.

Over the years, there have been all kinds of claims, studies and research projects that have linked NLP with successful person changes including weight loss, reducing anxiety, negative moods and so on.

It has also been used in the sphere of learning as well as by many managers and supervisors in the workplace. The impact of making a positive change in anyone’s life is not to be underestimated.

NLP as a vocational skill

Understanding NLP in depth and how it can be applied in the workplace can open up many oppor-tunities for employees, as well as having a beneficial effect on productivity. Like New Year resolutions, changes in the workplace can be stressful and have a negative impact on employees and their morale.

For managers and supervisors, a grounding in NLP techniques can make a positive impact on how a team is managed but, finding the time to study for an NLP qualification can be tough.
Learning online through a home learning provider is one solution for gaining an NLP qualification:

  • You learn at a pace that suits you – courses are completed on a module by module basis but you move on when you feel ready to move on. If you want to research a concept fur-ther, you can do so.
  • You learn in a place that suits you – this can be on your couch of an evening, or you may prefer to sit at the kitchen table. You may find that home holds too many distractions thus, a few hours in the local library is the right place for you. You choose where you learn best.
  • At a time that suits you too – we all live different lives and we all learn differently too. Some people are wide awake, ready to focus in an evening but other people prefer to study on a weekend.

NLP can make a big difference to your personal life but in your workplace too. Take a closer look.

Nick Cooper
Nick is NCC's resident blog author and covers a range of subjects, including teaching and health & social care. NCC is an international learning provider with over 20 years’ experience offering learning solutions. To date, NCC has engaged with over 20,000 employers, and delivered quality training to over half a million learners.
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