Growing and Changing this New Year

As an old year ends and a new year rolls in, this is a time when many people make New Year’s resolutions. Many people do not realize how important this age old tradition is in establishing and maintaining sound emotional well being. One important trait that all healthy living things share in common is that they continue to grow. Another word for growth is change. When we fail to take the opportunity to grow in either our personal or professional lives we are susceptible to feeling all kinds of emotional distress least of which is state of boredom or stagnation. So, use the New Year as a catalyst to identify an area of your life you would like to improve upon and put into action a plan to make growth promoting changes.

Here are some tips to help make your healthy intentions come to fruition:
**Make sure your goal is behavioral in nature.
**Be specific (how, when, where, how much, how often, etc.)
**Small change is better than no change
**Make sure that your goal is beneficial for you
**Remember that change is often difficult and uncomfortable.
**Have realistic expectations and be patient with yourself.
**Write your goal down.**Share your goal with family and friends
**Monitor your progress.
**Strive for progress not perfection.

Have a safe New Years from the counselors at PTC !!!!