In the New Year there are some surefire ways to be assured of an unsuccessful 2012. Here’s a list.

1) Hold on to self-defeating habits. Changing  self-defeating habits like overeating or negative thinking will  improve your chances of greater well being and move you into a place of confidence and courage. It will certainly change your 2012 from unsuccessful to success. If you want to maintain the status quo, keep a particular eye out for this point.

2) Live in the Past or the Future. Living in the past or the future will guarantee that you won’t have to deal with what’s happening here and now. When the focus is far into the future about what could be, or way back in the past about what could have been, then the present — which is the only place to really change anything — will receive no attention. Everything will remain the same.

3) Lament and complain. This tactic is sure to keep friends and family as well as co-workers at bay. By continuing this approach to viewing most things in life as problems to complain about, the negativity will remain the same. Don’t begin to change your mind and look for the positive. This will shift you out of that place of blaming and complaining.

4) Block your creativity. While we’re naturally creative, to not be a success in the New Year, keep that energy that’s boiling inside of you locked up and blocked. By beginning to express it and liberate it, you will change your world, so be careful and keep a tight watch.

5) Feel guilty. Feeling guilt keeps energy locked in negative emotions. If the guilt is released, then we’re free to move into elevated places.

6) Don’t have a sense of humor. Having a sense of humor will move you into a light place where problems can be laughed away and new solutions can come in in a flash.

7) Cling tightly to old patterns. Changing relationships to relate to friends, family, mates and co-workers in open, transparent ways and with clear communication will be a sure way to transform situations and environments in an instant. Everyone around will feel the changes and notice the differences.

By following these rules you’ll be sure to find the same kind of year you had last year. Happy New Year!

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.