Can't keep the ball rolling?

Here we are in March already. So, how are you doing on your list of home projects? If you're like a lot of people you started the year motivated and filled with good intentions, but somehow have run out of steam by now.

So I offer you a little pick me up in the form of a book. The title is: This Year I Will... by M. J. Ryan an expert on change. Ms. Ryan has written other inspirational books such as, The Happiness Makeover and The Power of Patience.

This Year I Will... is exceptionally helpful in regards to setting and achieving goals, big or small. It's filled with scientifically proven research on how our brain works, followed by sound methods to help you overcome obstacles that arise (and they always do). Ryan covers some of the big subjects like getting in shape, loosing weight and quitting smoking, but all of her methods can be applied to tasks as simple as cleaning out your desk.

Above all, Ryan's book is human. It is filled with humbling stories about herself, her family, and scores of her clients. Here's a small excerpt:

My husband Don is a packrat. The only way I can stand to share a living space with him is that he has a whole room to himself for his stuff. Just peeking in there makes me nauseous. He's been collecting that stuff for most of his fifty years. Every so often, he complains about the chaos and disappears in there for hours. But I never see what I consider progress in organization going on. Fortunately I've learned to keep my eyes and mouth shut. (Well, mostly.) Over the Chirstmas holiday this year, he decided to take charge of it once and for all. Again, he disappeared for hours. He finally came out and declared, "All that time and I could only find two things I'm willing to get rid of." I said nothing. A week later, he pronounced, "I realize what the problem is. It's so out of control that it's overwhelming. I don't even know where to begin. So I've decided (...) I'm going to throw away one thing a day." Smart man. He figured out a secret to change: one tiny step at a time. It doesn't matter which small step. Just take one, as long as it's little. Then take another. Repeat until you've gotten where you want to be.

I'll let you discover the secret to this technique and a host of techniques to help you succeed in keeping your resolutions.

Happy reading!