Making New Year's Resolutions
Five Simple Tips on How to Make and Achieve Them
Why not begin this New Year with resolutions that you will actually accomplish. Here are five simple tips for making and achieving New Year's resolutions.
Whether it's a New Year's or a birthday resolution, there are certain things that everyone can do to improve the likelihood of successfully achieving their goal. It's best to become familiar with the do's and don'ts of making New Year's resolutions and setting personal goals. Here are five tips on how to make and keep New Year's resolutions and personal goals:
- Do not make too many resolutions. Making too many resolutions is a recipe for failure. Most resolutions are made in an attempt to correct existing bad habits. The bad habits did not develop overnight and will not disappear overnight. Settle on one, two or three resolutions at most. Concentrating on few resolutions has the serendipitous effect of resolving other bad habits. For instance, the resolution to lose weight may also aid with a resolution to become more involved with community charity work. As the weight comes off, the energy level increases and the will and the ability to help others increases. However, a long laundry list of resolutions will do nothing but discourage even the most motivated of individuals.
- Make specific resolutions. New Year's resolutions should be thought of as a personal action plan. List the resolutions and the steps necessary to accomplish each and every one of them. Most people make vague resolutions and wonder why they fail. Quitting smoking, for instance, is an admirable goal. However, there are several ways in which to accomplish it. Plan whether or not to get the nicotine patch, gradually cut back, quit cold turkey or use alternative methods such as acupuncture or hypnotherapy. The more realistic and thought out the resolution, the higher the chances of succeeding.
- Be mentally prepared. Many people in the throes of the New Year's celebrations with one or two drinks under their belt make New Year's resolutions without thinking about them. It sounds good at the time but they're not well thought out. The biggest obstacle with achieving any resolution is preparing the mind for the battle. Once the mind is properly prepared, the resolution is a lot easier to accomplish.
- Allow for slip-ups. Everyone makes mistakes. Be sure to allow room in the resolutions for the occasional slip up. Plan for them. If things are going swimmingly for three weeks, and the urge for a little bit of a splurge hits, have a splurge; but let it be the one splurge and then get back to the resolution.
- Build a support group. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, there are times when it will take the help of friends and family to make it through the tough times.
Keep in mind that a New Year's resolution is something that is to be accomplished over time throughout the year. It should not be viewed as something to be accomplished on January 1st and then through white-knuckle determination and gritted teeth sustain the resolution throughout the entire year. For a New Year's resolution to become a part of daily life, it will have to gradually become a habit.
Take it easy. Follow these five simple tips. Allow for the occasional slip up and celebrate the hard-earned milestones on the way to accomplishing the goal.
