There is an adage that finds what you are doing at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve will set the tone for the rest of the year. For many folks, that might mean spending time asleep in bed, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The same can be said for surrounding yourself with friends and family. The other thing that happens at midnight on New Year’s Eve is that you have a chance to “reboot” your life. What happens in the form of resolutions. Everyone shares their resolutions at the end of the year. It is sticking to those resolutions that become the challenge.
Here are some ways to commit to your new New Year’s resolutions:
Get Real
Wanting to be a millionaire in two weeks is an awesome resolution but one that probably isn’t going to happen. The same can be said for swearing off your favorite food. You might be able to resist for a few weeks but after, what’s the harm, right? Actually, it would mean you failed and that’s not a good thing to have in your life. This is why you want to make a resolution that is grounded in reality. You don’t have to swear off a favorite food but maybe just treat yourself to it once a week. You might not be a millionaire but you can get serious about saving money. That works.
Come Up with a Plan
New Year’s resolutions aren’t genie wishes. Their success is depending upon your resolve. That starts with coming up with an actionable plan. If you want to lose weight (everyone’s favorite resolution), then you need a plan. Will you be eating more salads? Will you be exercising more? The answer should be “yes” to both but what will that look like?
Share Your Resolution
Your resolutions shouldn’t be a secret. When you share them with your family and friends, you are building a support system. Tell them you want to be held accountable. If they are going to be checking in on your progress, then you might be more focuses on achieving your goal. It might also help to have a “resolution buddy.” This could be someone who is going after the same goal. That way you can support each other.
Treat Yourself
Achieving your resolution milestones should be celebrated. However, you want to treat yourself in a way that supports the resolutions. For instance, if lose several pounds, then you don’t want to celebrate by eating a box of chocolates. But you could celebrate with a massage or buying clothes a size smaller!
Play It Out
According to the experts, it takes around three weeks for a new activity to become a “habit.” It will take another six months for that habit to become part of your personality. That is why you want to push through with your resolution and play it out. This is especially true if you are kicking a bad habit like smoking. You know that is what you should do for your health so stick with it and let it “sink in.”
Recommit
Making a resolution isn’t a guarantee of success. Just check in with any gym in March to see how many new members are still showing up. That doesn’t mean you should give up. You can simply recommit to your resolution. Start fresh. Adjust what didn’t work and get back on the plan. Before you know it, the time will come to make a new resolution!
