New Year’s Resolutions forgotten already? Get back on track with Alyssa Abbey’s excuse busters and make this summer your most energized yet. Here are the top pitfalls of those trying to create new energy habits...

1. Vague goals.  Vowing to ‘get fit’ is not good enough.  It needs to be a crystal clear habit – something like, ‘I will walk briskly for 30 minutes four times a week.’  Then you have to decide exactly what days and times you’ll do it, otherwise the weeks will go by and it won’t happen.

2. No vision.  Are you clear about why you want to create a new habit?  If you’re on a diet because you ‘should’, then it will only feel like something that’s being forced upon you, and you’ll rebel against it.  If you’re going to change your life, do it because it’s going to give you some benefits that are worth the effort.

3. Going away, not toward.  This is another important part of your ‘vision’ for yourself.  If you are simply trying not to be overweight, unfit or stressed, your focus remains on the thing you don’t want. Focus on what you do want.  Visualize the calm, slim, fit you, with fabulous energy levels or the loving relationship you want.

4. ‘Trying’.  If you’re going to ‘try’ to get to the gym, ‘try’ to eat more healthily, ‘try’ to relax, you can save your breath.  Any sentence that begins with ‘try’ can end with ‘but I don’t really have to’ and ‘I don’t have any concrete plans to.’  We only do what we decide we ‘will’ do.

5. Failing to make it fun.  When it’s a chore, how long are you really going to maintain it?  Be creative and make your new habit interesting and varied, to give you the incentive to stick with it.

Finally, don’t fall into the trap of the #1 excuse on the planet for failing to do the things you know would make you healthier and happier: ‘I don’t have time’.  You have time for everything that is truly important to you.  If you get your priorities straight, you’ll have time to look after your body and your happiness.

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Alyssa's book Stop Making Excuses and Start Living With Energy will be out in May 08 - for more information about the book please click here