This is the time of year when most people have given up on a New Year’s resolution and fallen prey to old habits. This means unhealthy diets, minimal exercising, smoking, too much drinking, succumbing to anger, giving up on therapy, not pursuing a new job, and not saving money. (Click on the link below for a list of common New Year’s resolutions that are broken.)  Gym traffic begins to return to normal because New Year’s resolutions have lost their luster. Trying something new or making a substantial life change can be very difficult whether it is physical or psychological. I recently came across some information on temperament and personality types that might help with your pursuit of change. Listed below are temperaments/personality characteristics that influence the path to change. Which category best describes you?

1. Novelty seeking: These individuals are excited to try something new and different, sometimes act on an impulse, and are not deterred when initially trying something different. On the flip-side these people are easily bored and often restless. They tend to be enthusiastic about a New Year’s resolution, but stop within a few weeks.
2. Harm avoidant: These are the people who play it safe. They often stick to what is comfortable and known because trying something new has the potential for some form of discomfort. They are less likely to even think of a New Year’s resolution than others. They may decide to forego on a gym membership because exercise is hard, meeting new people is unnerving, or learning how to use the equipment could potentially be embarrassing. They may decide to stay home and not go out to a party with a friend because those in attendance are unfamiliar.
3. Reward dependent: These are your pleasure seekers. They are going to try something new to reap the benefits. They are focused on the light at the end of the tunnel, but they have to be cautious of being deterred when the rewards are out of reach or not happening as often as they would like.   

 
One overarching factor that plays a role in all of these personality characteristics is persistence. Being aware of which group(s) best describes you, along with your level of persistence can prove useful in the process of change. You will be armed with valuable information that can help you avoid pitfalls, work through personal roadblocks, and stay motivated.
 
http://list25.com/25-of-the-most-popular-and-commonly-broken-new-year-resolutions/1/

“Before we even show up at the doorstep of an opportunity, we are teeming with dread and anxiety, borrowing trouble from a future that hasn’t yet unfolded.”
-Amy Cuddy

Do you constantly doubt yourself? Is there a steady stream of anxiety prompting fantasizes that you will be discovered to be a fraud? Do you lack confidence despite clear evidence that you excel at something? Amy Cuddy is one of the leading researchers on the Imposter Syndrome. I believe that we all, at some point in our lives, suffer from dread associated with the notion that someone might reveal that we are in fact less intelligent, less athletic, less gifted, lazy, or unfit for the task at hand. I believe this is a normal part of growth because when were in the developing process, we are not skilled, yet. However I see many people who are fearful of being revealed as imposters when they are actually experts. There is a substantial amount of evidence these individuals are great at what they do, yet the fear of being recognized as an imposter plagues their thinking. Then performance suffers. With a little help most people can begin that journey of seeing themselves in a realistic perspective and eventually dispel the notion that they are not a novice masquerading as an expert, but they are in fact an a qualified expert.

https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/01/28/amy-cuddy-presence/ 

I was interviewed for an article that featured former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil on clock management in the NFL.

http://www.phillyvoice.com/times-not-actually-yours-psychology-poor-clock-management-football/.

All too often I have clients express frustration with “a racing mind” and “constant focus on the negative.” With some hard work, people can change this habit of their mind and the first step in this difficult, yet rewarding endeavor is creating some understanding. So I would like to share some neuroscience that will shed some light on why most people struggle with a perpetually negative mind.

1. “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Our brain is comprised of billions of neurons communicating with each other which results in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The more we do something, the more automatic that something becomes, whether it is an action or a thought. Think of an athlete or musician. Early in their career the actions of throwing a spiral or shifting between chords on a guitar are clumsy and difficult. With repetition those actions become fluid and require little thought. The same holds true for thinking. When someone repeatedly engages in specific configurations of thinking (anxious, depressing, angry, happy, exciting…) those thoughts take one more step toward automaticity. One of the best metaphors I’ve come across compares the firing neurons in one’s brain to a footpath being created on a grassy hill. Imagine a person walking down a hill with tall grass for the first time. That grass bounces back easily and there is no trace of the walk ever happening. However, when the person makes the same trip 10 times a day, eventually a well-worn path is created. The same is true for the neurons in your brain. The first time a person has a specific anxious thought, those firing neurons have very weak connections. But with repetition, over time, the connection between those specific neurons becomes stronger and fire more automatically. It is like those firing neurons create a pathway in the brain much like the pathway on the hill. This is one reason why people can easily get swept up in negative thinking, we subconsciously have those automatic thoughts because the involved neurons have very strong connections.