We all have something we want to work on in our lives. Most people make New Year's resolutions but rarely follow through on them. Sometimes it's because the resolution wasn't that important, other times it's because they make too many to handle. Do you want to lose weight? Quit smoking? Be happier? Make more money? These and more are all great resolutions, but if you want to stick to them follow these tips:
1. Make it something you really want to do to improve your life, for you. Think about what you want, don't go off of what other people want from you or you will get discouraged.
2. Don't make more resolutions than you can handle. Taking on one thing at a time and getting it done is better than trying to tackle many things at once and giving up because you're too stressed. If you know you can handle two or three goals without getting stressed, then go for it. If you can only stick to one resolution, then there's nothing wrong with that!
3. Be specific about what you want to accomplish. For example, if you want to lose weight, how much? By when? And what are you going to do to achieve this?
4. Be realistic! You can't lose 30 pounds in one week, but you can lose a healthy one to two pounds a week and get closer to losing all 30 as time goes by. No matter what your goal is, make sure it's set in a realistic and healthy time frame so you won't get discouraged.
5. Write it down on paper. Write down all the specifics and your realistic deadlines. Lay out your plan and look at it everyday to remind you of what you want to accomplish. This will help keep you on track.
6. Don't beat yourself up if you mess up. Did you smoke a cigarette when you were trying to quit? Or eat a piece of cake and gain a few pounds instead of losing them? That doesn't mean you still can't achieve your goal and it's no reason to give up! Just re-evaluate and get back on track!
Have a fun New Year's and good luck with your resolutions this year :)
~Katie White
