Here we go again, another year and another stack of resolutions down the proverbial drain. No, not this year, all excuses have expired. This time will be different. Now, you have a plan that works. Tradition dictates that every 365 days, you should try to kick bad habits and start your life anew. So sit down with a cup of coffee, a paper and a pen, and reflect: What kinds of New Years Resolutions will you make for yourself this January 1st?
Here are some example of my new years resolutions as a guide:
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Be realistic by setting achievable goals. Winning the lottery, for example, is out of your grasp. Start with the principle that one and only one resolution at a time is required. Trying to quit drinking, lose weight and stop smoking at the same time would be ridiculously aggressive. Take the one thing that is most critical to your health and well being and tackle it first. Write down your top resolutions in a notebook or journal. Next to each one, write down why it is important to you.
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Describe your resolutions in specific terms. Instead of "I don't want to be lazy," opt for "I want to exercise regularly" or "I will cut down on my television watching." Break the change down into small manageable steps. Use a graph, pareto chart or other visual manifestation of the tasks you will need to accomplish to reach your goal. And be realistic about it. Fifty pounds in fifty days will land you in the hospital if you are foolish enough to starve yourself to succeed. If you have a large weight loss, think of your success as a three-stage process. In the first quarter of the new year, you will achieve one third of the loss (i.e. 20 lbs.), the second quarter will be the next 20 and by the end of September, you will achieve the total loss. Or, you can focus on the number of hours of exercise instead. Number your resolutions in order of importance. From 1 being the most important and so on. You might want to start from the bottom up to the most important.
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Break down large goals into smaller ones. For instance, commit to losing weight by resolving to join a gym and improve your eating habits. See it as you do it. Visualize the end result. There is no big "secret" relative to the attraction theory that you can achieve what you want by focusing on it, visualizing the goal and as a result, motivating your actions to achieve it. Put pictures of yourself - at your healthiest weight - everywhere. Think about it all the time. Use motivational audiotapes to repeat the message. "I will achieve my goal". Whatever your goal may be. Read each resolution through. Pick out your top two or three resolutions and then write down next to each one how much time you think it will take to complete the resolution.
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Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan. So you want to quit smoking but you smoked to relax yourself? What other forms of relaxation are available to you? Tell other people and ask for their help in accomplishing your objective. Ask her not to tempt you if you are trying to lose weight and see if she will agree to work out with you at the gym 2-3 night per week if possible. You can renew an old friendship or find a new buddy to help motivate you to change your habits. List your top three resolutions on some pretty stationary or small colored posterboard. Keep it somewhere you can see it every day such as your bed stand, the refrigerator or even on your bathroom mirror.
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Aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you. If you don't feel like working out, or you want you eat that donut, don't allow yourself to make those old, familiar rationalizations. As soon as you hear those excuse tapes playing in your head, shut them down and throw them out with the trash. Mark each resolution off as you complete it. Then reward yourself every time that you complete a resolution and congratulate yourself. It is a big step in moving on towards the year.
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If you do have a moment of weakness and slip up a bit, that's okay, you are human. Forgive yourself, and the very next day, work twice as hard on your goal, strengthening your resolve even more. Have faith in yourself. You can do anything if you set your mind on that goal. Remember that it is never too late to become what you might have been.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
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