Already having trouble sticking to those virtuous New Year's resolutions? Fear not, for help is at hand as we pick up some expert tips on how to realise your goals in 2006. ********* Mum-of-two Jackie Bassett has four New Year resolutions. * Number 1 - Diet; * Number 2 - Get fit; * Number 3 - Sort out the family finances; * Number 4 - Be more organised at work. "They have been the same for most of my life," says Jackie, of Yarm. The tricky bit, she explains, is sticking to them. This year, however, she is determined to make them work and has already put some plans in place. "I am going to join a slimming club," she says. "A friend and I are going to start playing basketball and there is a tennis and squash club near our house so I'm going to go there." As for sorting the family finances she laughs as she says: "That's good coming from a financial advisor!" Jackie, 43, and husband, David, own Homes & Finance, an estate agents and financial advisory service in Yarm. "The main problem for me is finding the time. When you help other people with their finances all day at work, by the time you get home you don't feel like starting again on your own." As for the rest of the family, David, 36, and daughters, Anna, seven and even Nicole, three, all have their own resolutions in mind. David's goal for 2006 is, like Jackie, to get more fit and healthy, possibly even joining her on the diet. "He is a very laid-back person so for him to decide he wants to do something like that is a step in the right direction," says Jackie. As for the girls, Anna has decided to cut down on the amount of chocolate she eats and both girls have agreed to help tidy their bedrooms. "Anna is getting to the age where she wants to keep fit and things," says mum. "Nicole just goes with the flow being just three." * So how can the Bassetts stick to their resolutions? ********** Keeping to goals So how can the Bassetts ensure that 2006 is the year they achieve their resolutions? Well, life coach Anne Pink, of Middlesbrough-based New Horizons Coaching and Consultancy, says the festive season is probably not the best time for making changes. "There are so many expectations at this time of year and people set themselves challenges that are too high," she says. "For example, someone might say they are going to give up smoking or start a diet in the New Year, by which they normally mean January 1, but it is almost impossible to do. "If you are at a party on New Year's Eve you are never going to be able to have your last cigarette at five to midnight. "There is still the Bank Holiday to go, and there will be parties where people tend to drink more, eat more and smoke more. "It is setting yourself a hurdle that is a bit big." So what does Jackie suggest? She says: * IDENTIFY WHAT YOU REALLY WANT "It is important to identify what you want to change in order to stay positively focused. "You must think about why you want to make those changes, what the benefits are going to be and what the adverse side of not making those changes will be." * BE SPECIFIC "Often people will blandly state something like 'I want to handle my finances better', but to be successful you have to identify what that means. "For example, do you want to be better able to provide for the future, or do you want to holiday more often, or is it just that you want to be able to afford to eat out more? "It is important you know exactly what you want to do so that you can later measure and determine how well you are doing towards that." * PUT A DATE ON IT "You need to get it clear in your mind when you are going to start. Give yourself a lead up before making a major change, this way you are more likely to stick to it. "Deciding on a date helps to shape a time frame and provides the impetus of a deadline." * RECOGNISE THAT THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES AHEAD "There will always be some adverse challenges to face, not just the obvious ones. "I gave up smoking 12 years ago. There wasn't just the withdrawal, there was the whole social side linked with smoking. There are a whole set of habits linked to smoking so stopping affects all sorts of things in your life. "Therefore, when making changes, even for positive reasons, it is important to identify what you are going to miss and acknowledge them. "In order to make a new start you have to make an ending, the ending is acknowledging what you want to change." * WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN "Having clarified what it is you want to achieve then write it down. It is a fact that once you get clear about a goal your mind automatically starts working towards it, it makes decisions on the basis of how the actions you are taking and the choices you make will get you closer to where you want to be." * FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO HAPPEN "Make it a positive thing. It is better to say what you want to happen than what you don't." * KEEP A DIARY OF YOUR PROGRESS "You can help yourself by making a note in your diary of the dates you intend to complete a step by and then celebrate and give yourself a reward when you achieve it. "Don't sabotage yourself by listing the things you haven't done, instead focus on what you have achieved and how far you have come, and what you now need to do to move even closer to the goal. * DON'T BE DISHEARTENED "It took me several attempts to give up smoking. Each time the problem was I would succumb to temptation and once I had had one I would think that's it, I might as well have another. "For me, the thought of never having a cigarette again was far too big a mountain to climb. "The way I eventually succeeded was by telling myself 'I choose not to have a cigarette today'. The more days I chose not to have a cigarette the better. "This way if you slip up then you can see it as a stumble and think that tomorrow can be better." For more details about Anne's work, log on to: www.newhorizonscc.co.uk Page 2: Bright outlook from broadcast stars | 
