According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 8% of people actually accomplish anything on their list of New Year’s resolutions! And, it also reports the NUMBER ONE resolution on these lists is – yeah, you guessed it – weight loss.

Do you have a weight loss goal? It’s a safe bet, either you – or someone close to you – has some sort of health-related goal. And even if you don’t… keep reading, because this advice applies to every bad habit or addiction you’ve ever tried to eliminate from your life.

Honestly, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll get the same result you’ve always had. See, we live in a culture of excess, and if you keep living in excess, you’ll keep needing an extra notch on your belt, friend. And after so many years – if not decades – of bad programming, it will take more than a resolution or overnight decision to de-program that lifestyle!

You need to understand, your cravings and habits are like a muscle. When you “feed” those food cravings, shopping or porn addictions or any other craving, you also “flex” that muscle. The more you feed and exercise that muscle, the stronger those cravings become. You may even have decades of “pumping-up” that muscle, under your belt.

In the same way, self-control is also a muscle. If you flex and feed that muscle, it will grow stronger… and your cravings weaker!

So think about this: Start by identifying your unhealthy habits or anything else you want to scale back. Track how often you eat out, grab a snack, make a Starbucks run or have a midnight dessert. Instead of trying to eliminate it 100% overnight, start by cutting out just one of those indulgences.

In other words, just reduce those midnight trips to the ‘fridge. After a week or two of working on that, THEN cut out those daily Starbucks runs, next. Small steps can lead to big results!

When you try to go cold turkey, you set yourself up for failure. That decade of poor eating habits will NOT change overnight. Those cravings are “buff”… stronger than they’ve ever been. And when that virtually-inevitably failure does occur, you feel helpless and ready to give up. Don’t set yourself up for that kind of disappointment, instead, position yourself for success!

Now, remember these two highly-important things, as you set your goals:

1. Know yourself: Know your body, your habits and your spending habits. When you know your greatest weaknesses and strengths, you can steer yourself away from those vulnerable spots!
2. Give yourself some grace: You will fail! Just work on getting a little better every day, by slowly flexing that self-control muscle.

I hope this quick message encouraged you today. When you work on a weakness or try to improve a habit, remember it takes time, support and accountability. You don’t have to do it all alone! That’s why the DaniJohnson.com community is here for you!

What are your goals for this New Year… just leave me your comments below? I’d love to know!

And don’t forget to join us today for The Dani Johnson Show, to gain more insights for your everyday life. You can find the show on your TV and radio or stream today’s show, right here on our website.

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In great faith,

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