Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Keeping New Year’s resolutions isn’t easy. About half the population makes at least one – and most give up along the way.

Don’t sweat it (unless, your resolution is to um, sweat more). Here’s the up side. Even if your resolve has broken, the very act of self-examination is a positive one.  The year is still  young. Here are some tips to keeping your new year’s resolutions.

Make Only One Resolution – The chances of success are greater when people channel their energy into changing just one aspect of their behaviour. If you feel compelled to make more than one, consider approaching one at a time.  Give yourself a break.

Plan ahead, be specific and track your progress – If you are serious about making resolutions – plan, plan, and plan.  Take some time to reflect upon what you really want to achieve, what you are going to do, where and when you are going to do it.  Set up goals within your major goal and track them.  Write everything down. Each minor goal success unavoidably leads to the achievement of your major goal and you’ll wake up one day to realize you have accomplished what you set out to do.

Define success – Define what success means to you and know the reason why it is important to you.

Commit to actions instead of results. Saying you’ll lose ten pounds is meaningless without an action plan. Commit to action (say 45 minutes of exercise three times a week and a portion controlled diet) and you’ll see results.

Make it personal – What do you really want out of life?  Got a book in you?  Think about starting it or finishing it.  Concerned about sustainability and contemplating the 100 mile diet?  Go for it!  Do something that is easy too. When you achieve that goal it will be easier to move onto the next.

Be persistent – New habits take time to learn – expect that you will slip up and revert to the old you.   Don’t give up.

Focus on the rewards of achieving your goal(s) – For example:  more exercise will of course make give you more energy. Have someone in particular you’d like to spend it on?  Or think about how good you’ll feel by helping others through a really great  charity.

Tell your friends and family – It’s harder to fall off the path if you’ve told others and are accountable to them.  Also, encourage others to be resilient when they initially fail at their resolutions.  This small gesture can lead to reciprocal encouragement and keep you on the resolution path.

Reward yourself – there is nothing like a reward to keep your morale up.  But be smart. A drink is not a good choice if you’ve resolved to quit drinking. A chocolate isn’t a good reward if you’ve resolved to cut out sweets.

Have Fun- need we say more? You’ll stay on track if you infuse fun into  your routine. On the exercise bike? Make sure you have great music to listen to, a really good magazine or a TV taped with your favourite shows. Or get outside and walk through your favourite areas of town.

If you’ve had a little slip, think of it as our little secret. Today is a new day and a chance to try again. Start right now. And just worry about keeping  your resolution one day at a time.

We’re rooting for you — good luck!