Sticking to New Year’s Resolutions

While I love the optimism of New Year’s resolutions, enthusiasm and hope often fade within weeks and my efforts at self-improvement come to a whimpering end.

Let’s face it—most of us fail when it comes to sticking to New Year’s resolutions. Caught up in the excitement of the New Year, we make lofty promises to ourselves. We’re going to do this, that, and the other thing. We expect too much and set ourselves up for failure.

Yet, we are eternally hopeful when the New Year comes around believing, without any credible evidence, that we can improve our lives. Change is possible. We’re not going to be stuck in the same old rut again this year.

Tackling New Year’s Resolutions

Any number of reasons can waylay our best intentions; but there are simple, effective ways to stay on track.

• You make too many resolutions. As noble as it is to begin dieting, quit smoking, and start an exercise program, it’s unrealistic to think you can do them all the same time. Solution: Choose one resolution and focus on it.
• Your New Year’s resolutions are often vague. Saying you’re going to start an exercise program has no concrete plan of action. Solution: Be specific—I’m going to walk more. Also, have a very specific plan—I’m going to park my car on the other side of the building at work, so I have farther to walk to my office.
• You run out of steam. Having only a certain amount of enthusiasm and motivation, you spend all of your energy at the start. Solution: Take each day as it comes and make changes gradually.
• Your resolution is too difficult. Your try to do something really difficult right away, become overwhelmed or intimidated by the difficulty, and quit. Solution: Make New Year’s resolutions that fit easily into your routine and lifestyle.
• Your resolutions are unpleasant. Yor try to be disciplined, but if you really don’t want to do something, you won’t be able to force yourself to do it for long. Solution: Focus on things you love. For instance, if you resolve to exercise more, but hate running, don’t even consider changing your daily routine to include a morning jog around the block. Find an exercise you like to do instead, like bike riding or walking the dog.
• There’s no accountability. If you fail, no one knows. It won’t be embarrassing. No one will judge you for it. Solution: Commit to your resolution(s) as publicly as possible. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers. Blog about it. Share your daily progress on social media. You set yourself up for success when a crowd is watching.
• Life gets in the way. Things come up unexpectedly that keep you from sticking with a resolution. You get sick and don’t feel like jogging . . . or, you go to a dinner party, and the main course is not on your diet plan. Solution: If something comes up that prevents you from following a resolution you made, consider it a small bump in the road and forge on. It’s OK to take a break, slip, and fall . . . just get back on it as soon as you can.