It’s that time of year when people set their new year’s goals and then strive to achieve them. The health and wellness industry reaches its business peak now. Then time goes by and the resolve wanes with so many well-intentioned people, and their goals never become a reality as business goes back to usual. Why does energy and enthusiasm so commonly dissipate? Most of the lost resolve occurs because of self-limiting, negative self-talk. People simply talk themselves right out of what is in their own best interest.

While the rational mind is busy making excuses such as, “It’s just not the right time,” or “I’m really not the type of person to…”, the reality is this negative self-talk is just a way of making excuses for not moving past fears that lurk as stored defensive patterns readily tripped by a perceived obstacle that the subconscious mind feels must be defended against. And before the person realizes it, their old reliable, yet no longer useful pattern of submission to the status quo, has returned.

The truth is, not everyone can do anything simply by setting their mind to it. Some goals go against the grain of who we inherently are. However, could a person overcome a fear of making it as an artist? Can a smoker, quit smoking? Or can a person lose the 100 pounds that is life-threatening? They most certainly can. The most important thing that contributes to success in achieving goals is attitude, knowledge and experience.

The Brain Can Be Rewired

What the field of neuroscience has proven is that the wiring of the brain changes as new knowledge is learned and greater experience is acquired. Therefore, within reason, the goals that we set are completely achievable.

Most negative self-talk is inaccurate and unrealistic, and leads to self-limiting behavior. Negative self-talk is a voice that robs people of the possibilities that their lives offer. Powerful transformational tools such as hypnosis, coaching, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), among others, can, however, create a shift. These services all help create a more reasoned voice within, a voice that will champion and fight for a person’s goals and put a halt to the negative self-talk. Through these types of services, performed by reputable professionals, individuals can begin to see what their capabilities truly are and feel more resolved when taking on new challenges.

Professionals in these fields are experienced with helping people to alter those subconscious patterns that get tripped when obstacles are presented. Individuals begin to see more things as within their capabilities, and feel happier taking on new challenges. They often find themselves looking forward to situations that before might be avoided.

Professionals can be found through organizations such as National Guild of Hypnotists (ngh.net), The Association for NLP (anlp.org) and International Coaching Federation (CoachFederation.org), to name a few.

Rose Siple is the founder of Thought Alchemy’s Transformation Center and is a certified professional hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, coach and spiritual teacher. She works with clients privately and in small groups, as well as teaches a curriculum of studies that facilitate personal transformation. Thought Alchemy is located in Rehoboth, MA, and also offers on-line services. For more information, call 774-991-0574 or visit ThoughtAlchemy.guru.