Did you have big changes planned for your life this year? Did they stick? January 1st seems to bring out the optimist in us. Not that that's bad - we just sometimes over-commit and under-plan which seems to open the door to fast failure.

I recently heard someone who was selling vending machines say that a sure fire way to make money with his machines was to put weight loss meal replacements in the machines from January 1 to Feb 15. After that, he said more money would be made by stocking the machine with energy drinks. If you have had enough failure with New Year's Resolutions to last a lifetime you are not alone and you might want to consider some tactical changes - assuming you do want to win both the 'war' and the 'battle' - to renew your efforts and improve your chances of success.

You need to decide why the change you have resolved to do is important to you. If your 'why' is big enough the 'how' will present itself! Funny, we seem to be more able to keep commitments we make for/to other people. 'I'll quit smoking because my daughter is worried about my chronic cough' seems to work better for some people than 'I want to improve my health'. 'My boyfriend doesn't like to kiss me because I taste like an ashtray 'often works better than 'I don't like the way I smell after I smoke.'

It takes 21 days of consistent effort to create a new habit. So, for weight reduction, for example, eating changes and activity increases need to be done in gradual steps that can be built upon. Some easier first steps might be 'eat 6 small servings of protein and 6 small servings of veggies everyday'. This strategy for food correction works because we haven't taken anything away, there is no deprivation mentality, and you never get ravenously hungry when you have permission (and follow through with it) to eat 6 smaller meals each day. Set an 'easy-to-achieve' plan of walking 15 extra minutes each day. No spandex required, and 15 minutes can easily be done indoors in office buildings or shopping malls when the weather is bad.

Focus on the positive - what you will do - rather than what you won't do. We aren't working with 'won't power'.  We are working with 'will power'. Set goals in small increments that you know you can maintain for 21 days at a time. It is far more empowering to be a massive success in baby steps that to be a huge failure in one step.

Make 'tandem changes' if they fit together well. For example, many people link drinking coffee with having a cigarette. It makes sense to work on these together. Rather than quitting both 'cold turkey' it may work better to do it more gently and to use choice words and delayed gratification. 'I can choose to have one cigarette and ½ cup of coffee at 10:30 AM if I still want them then. I can make it 'til 10:30, no problem!'

Our past experiences and 'self-talk' can really sabotage us. We often let our past dictate our future.  'I can do this' is often followed by 'Oh, yeah? Says who?' or 'what makes you think you can do it THIS time - you've never been able to before!' 'You've tried before and failed, so what's gonna make the difference now?' Sometimes, okay, most of the time, we need some deep down, core idea changes. This is a great time to use energy balancing techniques like EFT. If you want to create the energy of success in a specific area EFT can catapult you into that energy change in a matter of minutes and may save you months of struggling to change your mind set. It's a great way to erase the baggage of past failures and the residual effects of 'nay-sayers' quickly and easily and on your own terms!

Where exercise is concerned we are often our own worst enemy! If you have been a couch potatoe who committed to excercise three times a week for an hour each time you may have set yourself up for failure. 60 minutes is a long time for someone who is out of shape. Rather than spending the money on a gym membership just yet try creating a 10-minute group at work. Carry your runners with you, and at morning 'coffee break' and again for afternoon 'coffee break' go and climb the stairs in your office building for just 10 minutes. Do it every day and watch your fitness improve.

One of the best health resolutions you will ever make is to make sure you get enough sleep. I am totally amazed at the number of people who want more energy but are unwilling to make the necessary changes to get more than 6 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is about so much more than energy. Without enough sleep your immune response with suffer, as will you moods, your weight (usually with weight going on!), your ability to heal injuries, and for women - your hormone balance. Commit to at least 7 hours of sleep per night. When your energy is great because you are getting enough sleep it will be easier to stick with your commitments in other areas.

Judith Cobb