Listen carefully and you will hear the cracking sound of resolutions breaking around the world.

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If you haven’t stuck to your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t beat yourself up. They are just not an effective way of making long-lasting improvements in our lives.

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Making change is not easy. As one coach told me, ‘The only people who want to change are babies in dirty diapers!’

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So, how can we make effective transformations?

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Setting intentions is more powerful than resolutions. Intentions run deeper. They are more qualitative and compassionate. Intentions embody a quality – they are felt.

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Start by loving and accepting yourself as you are. You are more likely to do something for someone you love than someone you judge and dislike. (PD)

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Give yourself physical and mental space to decide on your intention. Being outside in nature can give you a bigger perspective on what you want to achieve. (KN)

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Choose a positive intention that motivates and energises you. Go deeper inside yourself to understand where you get pleasure and contentment. (ALC)

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Put your intention out to The Universe without the details of ‘how’ you are going to achieve it. If the intention is powerful enough, The Universe will supply the ‘hows’. (KN)

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Be prepared to implement "hows" that are different to your initial plans providing they move you in the direction of your intention. (PD)

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Make your own choices rather than what other people are doing or saying you should do. Only set an intention if you really want to, not just because everyone else is doing it. (ALC)

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Set yourself a time scale for your intention such as ‘I will enjoy improved my fitness by the end of this year.’Or, ‘I will create a more balanced work/life pattern by September.’ (KN)

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Think of three words that sum up how you want to be better, words that resonate with you and remind you of the direction you want to head in. Write them on post-it notes and put them in prominent places to motivate and inspire you. (ALC)

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Think about being on a journey of discovery and exploration to know yourself better as you move towards your intention. That journey may not be perfect so give yourself the freedom to explore new pathways.(ALC)

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And finally…

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You can set an intention at any time – the start of a new day, a new week, or a new moon. If your New Year’s resolutions didn’t work just choose a day and start again. (PD)

Pat Duckworth, Hot Women Rock Radio Show

Pat talked about Resolutions vs Intentions with Coaches Kay Newton and Anna Letitia Cook on the show on January 6