In Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews' character talks about pie crust promises, promises that are "easily made and easily broken". New Years' Resolutions are pie crust promises to ourselves. Frequently, their only real effect is to make us feel bad that we didn't live up to our own expectations.

The energy around New Year's resolutions is all wrong. They are attempts to push and pat ourselves into shape - great for pie crust but not so good for human beings. A better approach is to pull, not push, ourselves into the best future we can imagine. For example, if you want to lose weight, rather than resolving to lose 15 pounds, you could imagine yourself looking and feeling slim, fit and fabulous. You could also imagine enjoying walking, jumping dancing, skipping and/or eating healthy food.

Vividly imagining a strongly desirable future is the key to turning a pie crust promise into a realizable goal. It also helps us focus on the positive process and outcomes we want, not the obstacles to getting there.

Asked if she could think of anything worse than being blind, Helen Keller replied, "Yes, to have sight but no vision."

Visions provide us with a clear understanding of our goals and the positive energy to reach them. Many of us, however, don't know how to be sure we've got the right vision or how to turn it into reality.

If you need help making the Guidelines below work for you, contact New Leaves for coaching.

Praise For New Leaves Coaching:

• Imagine what YOU want, not what you have been taught or persuaded to want by others.
• Get excited about it!
• Imagine it frequently. See it as already having come true.
• Pay attention to what you want, not what you don't want. Focus on being slim and attractive, not on losing weight; on successfully running a marathon, not on training hard.
• Take action in the service of your vision. Do whatever you can to make it come true.
• Stay positive.
• If you find yourself being negative, don't wonder why. Simply turn your mind back in a positive direction.
• Be passionate, but not desperate.
• Be full of faith, even if it takes some time to manifest.

Jan 26 - 1-day class on Being At Ease in Social Situations at the Center for Continuing Education, USM, 780-5900

Jan 30 - Career Change Course begins, also at USM

February 12 - Communications Skills To Make Workplaces Work Better, Presentation at American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), South Portland

For more information, call the New Leaves office, 774- 0816

Coming February 23rd
Beyond The Secret
True Prosperity And How To Create It
1-day workshop with Rhoda Mitchell and Deb Bergeron - Call New Leaves for information 774-0816

Reactions to Beyond The Secret from last year's participants:

Enlightening!
An experience to experience!
It will change your life!
Don't wait another day. You will feel alive again!