Meeting Your New Year's Resolutions

  It is that time of year again when we all make resolutions and know we'll blow half of them within the first three months of the new year.  There are ways to help us adhere to our resolutions because most of the resolutions are designed to create new habits.

Some days it just finding the motivation to continue and other days its making sure you do not go overboard.  In other words, how do you create resolutions you can keep without over doing it?

I have a few new resolutions this year I hope to implement and not crash and burn because I need a couple new habits to make life easier.  Sometimes I feel like a dog chasing its tail and so these tips will also help me implement my resolutions.

1. Make the resolution one you want, not something you think you should do.  Don't choose something that someone else says you should do.  These resolutions are for you, not anyone else so the resolutions should be meaningful.

2. Limit the resolutions to only two or three items because its easier to focus on those goals and your resolutions are goals, things you want to accomplish.

3. Make your resolutions extremely specific.  Instead of saying you will exercise more, make it you'll  work out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 PM in the gym.  This makes it so you have a time and a place and are less likely to blow it off.

4.  If its a goal like you want to save money, make it automatic so money is placed in your savings account every month before you have a chance to spend it. 

5. Create a plan you need to accomplish the goal.  Rather than face the whole goal, break it down into a series of easily manageable steps needed to make it.

6.  Be willing to change some habits.  In order to meet your goal of going to the gym, you might have to give up one hour of watching television.  Be aware you have already established habits that can sabotage your resolutions and you may need to figure out what those habits are, address them so you meet your new goals.

7. Write down the goal to make it more real and visualize it.  Visualization can often help you accomplish them.

8.  If you have one or two friends who can give you support, tell them so they are there to cheer you on and help celebrate your steps.

9. Be willing to forgive yourself if you stumble.  You get up and start again.  If you stumble, it is not the end of everything, it only makes us human.

Remember resolutions are goals whose result is in a new habit we want.  So I hope these suggestions will help you succeed in fulfilling your resolutions.