1) Write Your Resolutions in the Present Tense

When writing down your New Year’s resolutions, make sure that they’re written in the present tense and begin with “I AM”. Avoid using “I will”, “I’m going to” or conditional phrases like “If I…” or “When I…”. 

Think of your subconscious mind as a good-intentioned but lazy teenager. If you write down something that you’re “going to do” or “will do”,  it might be tempting for your mind not to act on it, thinking that it’s something that can be postponed until later. 

However, if you write your resolutions in the present tense as though you’re already well on your way achieving them, your subconscious mind will race to play catch up to make them a reality. 

Examples: 

Instead of: “This year, I will get a job that pays twice my previous salary”, try: “I AM ready for a job that pays twice my previous salary” or “I AM  attracting a job with a salary that better reflects my worth”

Instead of: “I will lose weight”, try: “I AM making healthy substitutions in my diet, setting time aside for daily exercise, and enjoying my new, slimmer figure”

2) Choose Positive Language Over Negative Language

Resolutions should always specify what it is you do want, not what it is you don’t want. 

If you load up on negative language, it’s very easy to make those words the focus, even by accident. It’s like that old saying – if someone tells you: “Don’t think about an elephant”, the first thing you’re immediately going to do is think about an elephant!

Examples: 

Instead of: “I’m no longer stuck in my boring, dead-end job”, try: “I AM working at a fulfilling, engaging job that has plenty of room for progression”

Instead of: “I’m not getting into relationships with people who waste my time and treat me like dirt”, try: “I AM enjoying being in the company of people who value my worth”

3) Make Sure it is Within Your Control

Resolutions are powerful tools, but they’re not magic wishes! You can’t make a resolution to have your crush fall head over heels in love with you any more than you can make a resolution to win the lottery. You simply cannot change things that are outside of your control.

Instead, focus on what is within your control. You can’t change other peoples’ behaviour, but you can certainly change how you react to it. 

If you and your partner are always butting heads, you can make a resolution to change how you behave towards this person.. You can set a resolution to learn better anger management techniques. You can set a resolution to pursue better communication skills, or you can even set a resolution to have the strength to walk away from a relationship that is no longer serving you. 

Examples: 

Instead of: “I want my family to be happy”, try: “I AM creating a home environment that supports my family’s health, wellbeing, and happiness”

Instead of: “I want my partner to be more patient”, try: “I AM showing my partner the tenderness, patience, and understanding that I wish to be shown”

4) Resolutions Have to Be Measurable and Testable

How can you know if you’ve achieved a resolution if there’s no checklist to check it against? Including specific numbers and values, deadlines, and exact criteria are helpful because they make the resolution more concrete. 

It also helps to avoid broad terms like “rich”, “happy” or “healthy” because these things can mean different things to different people. What “rich” looks like to a CEO already on a $5 million salary is very different from what it looks like to a student working a minimum wage job. Once again, be specific in what these things mean to you – it all comes down to the details. 

Examples:

Instead of: “I will be happy”, try: “I AM spending at least five hours of quality time with my family each week”

Instead of: “I am rich”, try: “I AM attracting  enough money each month to pay all my bills, add $500 to my savings, donate to charity, and treat myself to delicious restaurant meals and weekend trips away whenever I want”

5) Make Sure Your Resolutions Are Worthwhile

These are your own personal resolutions for you and you alone. Ignore what resolutions you think you should be making, or what resolutions your friends, family, or even society would want you to make. 

If your heart isn’t really in your resolutions, you won’t have the passion needed to make them a reality. You’ll only end up with a sense of guilt over 1) not achieving them and 2) not even wanting to achieve them in the first place. 

Once you’ve written down your resolutions, read back over them. If you don’t feel that little spark deep inside you, you might need to rethink whether it’s right for you. 

Examples:

Instead of: “I AM married with a family with two kids.”, try: “I AM surrounded by a family of my own choosing and travel the world and create unforgettable memories wherever I go”

Now that you know the rules, grab a pen and paper and write down your resolutions for 2023. Write them in order of priority, and don’t be afraid to think big!

BONUS: Add some Feng Shui magic to your New Year’s Resolutions.

Place or hang your resolutions in your personal success direction in your bedroom, living room or office. Get the new Marie Diamond app to find out your Personal Energy Number, and check out  the Diamond Compass to find your Success direction in your space. Start setting up your home with free Feng Shui videos, free meditation, and daily messages.

With Love,

Marie Diamond

Master Teacher of the Law of Attraction, star in “The Secret”, and Feng Shui and Energy Master.