Sticking to New Year’s Resolutions

Written By Em Fergusson

Are you one of the millions who have set New Year’s resolutions, only to see your goals dwindle by April? A 2007 Franklin Covey Study found that 35 percent of respondents break their New Year’s resolutions by the end of January and only 23 percent don’t break them. So why do most of us fail at following our New Year’s resolutions, while only a few stay on track? Humans are creatures of habit and to desire change is not enough. To stick to your New Year’s resolutions for 2009, you need to be mindful you are changing an important aspect of your life. Treat your new goals with as much importance as you would a new job.

Think Long-Term.
Goals are all about change. And change takes time. Give yourself a realistic set of time to accomplish your goal. Say for instance, you want to begin eating better. Well, eating better rarely happens overnight. Think of how you would like to eat better for the rest of your life and what it will take to get there. Most times, it takes longer than a week.

Adopt a Positive Outlook.
Changing the way you think about your new goal will spur you into action. Negative thinking, focusing on past failures, and putting yourself down will not help you to establish realistic and sustainable goals for the long-term. Use positive language and believe you can accomplish anything you decide to do.

Take inventory of where you are now.
Planning to workout six days a week beginning January 1st? If so, write down how many times you’re working out now. Taking inventory of your current lifestyle will prevent you from creating unrealistic resolutions.

Write It Down.
Every New Year’s resolutions should be written down and posted in a place you can see daily. Writing down your goals is important because it allows you to remember and work on them consistently.

Celebrate small victories.
Were you planning on reconciling with a friend you fought with last year? If you wrote that e-mail or made that important call and things went well, celebrate. It’s important to pat yourself on the back by trying a new restaurant or scheduling a long-awaited date with friends.