Many of us see the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf. Maybe we let things go last year, and this seems like a way to start with a clean slate. This year it will be different, we tell ourselves. But will it?

Often we start out doing things the same way weve always done them, expecting different results. (One definition of insanity!) Maybe we havent asked ourselves how we missed the mark last time. Or we set up inflexible goals - again. (You intend to go jogging every morning, but the 3rd day its raining and you give up.) In this case there was a rush to action instead of anticipating possible roadblocks and coming up with alternatives first.

It doesnt hurt to have goals. People who have goals tend to achieve the results they want in their lives instead of going around in circles. But the classic resolutions usually smack of all-or-none thinking. Theyre abrupt, unforgiving, authoritarian, and usually dont work too well. And they generally focus on a perceived lack, something we dont like about ourselves, something that isnt good and doesnt measure up that we have to fix.

It reminds me of how I used to clean my room as a kid. I wouldnt pick up after myself, but Id let my room get really messy. The mess would get overwhelming and Id stay home all day Saturday to clean. (Punishment.) But I wouldnt just straighten up; Id scrub all the surfaces. I wouldnt just put things away; Id dump out all the drawers and rearrange everything. I wouldnt just put the dirty clothes in the wash; Id put all my clothes in the wash. It began to dawn on me that this was excessive (and a bit obsessive) and too much work. Plus it didnt make me feel any better.

The feeling I had was that I wasnt OK the way I was and that everything needed a drastic overhaul. Sound familiar? Think of the makeovers that you see on TV. I often wonder what happens to those people after a team has worked on them; how do they sustain the change? Something may have changed on the outside, but the inside is still the same.

I think theres a better way to look at ourselves and the changes we want to make. Rather than makeover, or fixing, think in terms of alignment. Your being wants to be in alignment. Its a natural process. Little adjustments can yield big results over time.

Lets assume that exercise/weight loss is a goal for you this year, because that is such a common focus. How can you be more aligned with your goal?

I suggest taking a systems approach dont look at your goal in isolation, but use other areas of your life to support the goal.

First, rate your level of satisfaction with various areas of your life on a scale of 0-10, zero being not satisfied at all and 10 being totally satisfied. These are the areas to look at: career; money; health/self care; friends & family; significant other; personal growth; fun; physical environment. Write down a score for each one. You could also jot down a few words to remind yourself why you chose the score you did.

Typically youll have some areas of your life with fairly high ratings, say 7 or 8, and some areas where you dont really feel satisfied at all. Remember, this is not based on some arbitrary scale, but rather on how satisfied YOU feel.

Suppose, for our example, you have low ratings in health/self care, family & friends, and fun. What are some of the things that you could do in these areas to increase your satisfaction AND support your goal of exercise/weight loss?

In health/self care, beyond the obvious food plan and exercise, you could get a massage, go to a sauna, have a really good haircut, buy a new outfit something that can help you feel good about yourself even though youre not at the weight you want to be. Anything that contributes to your self-esteem will be helpful for your weight loss goal.

In the area of fun and this can be a really hard area for some people if your leisure time is spent doing sedentary things like going to the movies or watching TV, do something more active like dancing. If thats too big a step, you could try walking to your local caf instead of driving, for example. Or walk to the movies.

If you want to increase your level of satisfaction in the area of friends/family you could get together once a week to make a new recipe that fits into your food plan, or make a date to meet in a neighboring town youre not familiar with and walk the streets.

None of these specific suggestions may appeal to you, but you get the idea. Let your whole life support you in what you want to accomplish, and try some things you havent done before. If you focus only on what youre eating, or your exercise routine at the gym, youll have an external focus that might be hard to sustain.

But if you align the various areas of your life to your goal, youre more likely to succeed and see a shift in your attitude and the way you see your life.