This is the time of year we set new goals, new aspirations and new commitments. And, how many times have you done that in the past only to find the same issues showing up that you had identified in 2018…maybe 2012…or even earlier?

If you truly want to have a breakthrough year, it might be time to use a Breakthrough approach – something I refer to as B STATE!

What does our old pattern look like? We start the year great by identifying what we want different in our life. Sometimes we use affirmations, ideal scenes, goals, or “vision boards.” We quickly translate those ideals into commitments – new habits, new ways of showing up differently and the like.

And, that’s when the trouble begins. As soon as we make those commitments, will power and natural resistance takes over. The still small voice (not always so small) says, “it’s too hard, not now, I’m too tired, I’ll start tomorrow, or it’s no problem if I skip just one day.” And, now we are back to being stuck – not making the change we hoped to change our life.

The best way to think of a B STATE approach to change is that instead of “pushing” for a change, which causes resistance, we gently “pull” ourselves to a new “State of Being” that reflects a truly “New” YOU!

The primary concept for achieving Breakthrough Results is understanding that we are Creators of our Reality. Instead of focusing on what we don’t want or trying to solve the barriers, obstacles and problems that keep us from transforming our lives, we develop a future Picture of Success in which those barriers don’t exist, or in which we relate to those barriers in a completely new way?

Creating a Picture of Success:

There are four key steps to create your Picture of Success to achieve Breakthrough Results:

Step 1: Clarify what it would look like a year from now when your Breakthrough Results are achieved? What did you accomplish and what does it feel like?

Step 2: What beliefs and mindset changes would need to be different to support sustaining those breakthrough results? For instance, if you have a belief or mindset that “I will experience success for a while, and then the other shoe will drop.” I can guarantee you that your success will be short-lived or unfulfilling. But, if your belief is, “Everything works out for me, even if it doesn’t look like it at the time,” you allow for better and better things to come forward in your life.

Step 3: What habitual behaviors get in your way…maybe it’s how you communicate with others when you are stressed, or maybe it’s getting overwhelmed when business grows that undermine your relationships? Again, this undermines your ability to sustain success?

Step 4: How do you treat yourself or others when you have a setback? Are you kind, confident and trusting, or do you take your upset, disappointment and frustration out on yourself or others? How about a do differently response of being extra kind, loving, patient and understanding of yourself and others – knowing that as you stay focused on what you ultimately want (the bigger game), everything else will fall into place?

Once you have your picture of success, you must review it to keep it alive – as a focus of your attention, as criteria for making decisions and as perspective when solving a problem. Then, it’s about taking small, micro steps in the direction of your Picture of Success rather than trying to tackle everything at once…allow, success to build success and momentum naturally transform your life, so slowly, you hardly notice it until the end of the year when you look back and say, “WOW – I am a New Me – and it was fun!”