I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions as let’s face it, the success rate of such pledge isn’t promising. I think for me, just by calling a goal a New Year’s Resolution, it loses its probability of success. It gives me the idea that I’m doing it because a date rolled around on a calendar, not because the goal is what’s best for me.
Perhaps that’s my own mental gymnastics, but I think it’s important to assess the reason for doing something. Doing so helps us achieve long term success.
I read in the newspaper recently that Scientists say habits get wired into our brains. It went into a lot of scientific gobbledygook, but it’s true. I have a late evening snack most every night. It usually is light-butter popcorn or a few slices of goat cheese. Since reading the article I’ve looked at whether I’m even hungry when I have my late evening snack. Most of the time … I’m not. It’s just what I do. I grab my token snack. When my large 24-pack box of popcorn gets low, I buy more. It’s my late evening snack.
So when it comes to parenting, how do we best set a goal?
- Stop and think about what we do and our responses to situations with our children. Is it what we want to do and say?
- Realize our autopilot will not bring successful change.
- Look for situations to practice the new response or action.
By changing things up our brains will probably be discombobulated. That’s okay. It’s just the start of a new hard-wired habit.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. ~Henry Ford
