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Sit down. Close your eyes. Picture your life a year from now. What do you see? Are you the same? Are you different? Do you look forward, bright eyed and expectant to that none too distant day, or do you have a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach that you'll just be an older, sadder, more chubby version of yourself?

This isn't a test, I'm not trying to separate the optimists from the pessimists. I have something to communicate and that is this: You have a choice.

It's a heck of a time to talk about beginnings, but that's what the New Year Season offers, a beginning. You don't have to take it up. Many of us are content to join a gym for three weeks and then hunker down with a bag of chips and a heavy sweater to wait for the spring. But you have the choice to step forward into the life you want to lead. This may mean opening up a safe routine to the possibility of adventure, or it may mean simply changing those aspects of yourself with which you feel less than satisfied.

What do you picture when you see yourself a year from now? Discard that image and try another one. Close your eyes and visualize what you want to be like a year from now. What do you do? What do you look like? Where are you at? Who are you with? Most importantly: Is it possible?

To be realistic, most anything is possible and very little in life turns out just the way you planned. It is impossible to foresee just what the outcome to a life change will end up being. That is part of the nature of change, it is unpredictable. That can be scary and exciting. But you have the choice not to accept status quo, not to maintain. You have the choice to change your life.

Now how do you do it?

This New Year's when you sit down to do your resolutions, don't just write out a list on a piece of paper. If you want to change your life, first limit the scope of the changes so that they are not overwhelming. A good approach is to choose three things and then make a 'commitment' rather than a resolution.

Example:

Rather than writing down on a piece of paper-

1. Lose 15lbs
2. Start doing art again
3. Find a boyfriend
4. Floss my teeth more often
5. Get a better job
6. Be more successful
7. Do something nice for mom

Choose three things from this list that you can act on in a long term way, starting now. Discard 'be more successful', if you want a higher paying job you can do things toward that, but successful is a subjective term and you have to assign a value to it and decide what you want and how to get it. You cant just start being more successful.

Prioritize the top three things you want and then DO.

1. Call and schedule an appointment with a nutritionist to work out a weekly menu. Carefully decide upon a type of exercise that you feel is fun and interesting, and sign up or join a group.
2. Register for an art class
3. Book a trip or tour for your mother, after discussing with her what she would like to see or do.

What is the difference in these approaches? Well when you actually take the step to commit to a life change, then you are not just stating what you want but also forming a plan to achieve it. Also, when you have put time and money into a pursuit, you are more likely to continue with it because of the greater 'investment'.

Once you have started making changes in your life, you might find that additional changes come naturally. Better health can lead to greater energy which can lead to more active pursuit. Registering for a class may lead you to socialize with a new group of people which may lead to new activities. Taking a trip can lead to a love affair either with a person or a place, and who knows where that can lead. Good luck this holiday season, and remember: You have a choice.

Learn more about this author, Alissa King.
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