Saavy Moves to Make Resolutions Stick
By Sandy Schroeder
New resolutions spring up like weeds in January, and are often lucky to survive the month. Making them stick may be easier if we avoid some of the traditional traps such as these from the New York Times:
- Letting others shape our goals – Start with what you want and need and make the resolution fit
- Making unrealistic targets – Don’t wish for the moon, start with something that you know you can do
- Creating sweeping resolutions – Attach some specifics and hold yourself accountable
Smarter Living offers some tips:
Be completely specific – It’s great to talk about trips we might take or weight we want to lose, but pinning it down might start the ball rolling. If you start research on specific trips or set up new menus for weight loss, you may take it from there.
Make goals manageable – Think of things you want to happen that you might actually pull off. If you want to lose 20 pounds, start with a goal of 10. If you want to rethink your work schedule, start with specific times and goals that you know you can do.
Pick things that matter – If it’s way up on your list of needs or wants, you might make it happen. We all have good intentions about many things, but we may really want to spend more time with our kids, or redo the whole garage. Ask yourself what would make life better and then zero in on the ones that count the most.
Attach dates and times – Set up goals with day, week or month tags. When you are vague about your progress, it’s all too easy to let that 15-minute walk or afterwork run slip away. Slot your goals into your schedule and stick to them.
Reward success – Post a chart to check off every time you meet your daily fitness goal. After a week of success, treat yourself to a new pair of sneakers. The more wins you accumulate the more likely the new goal will become a habit.
Be open to change – As your resolutions play out, you may find you need different ones. The whole idea is making life better, so keep cutting and pasting to get the resolutions that work.
Practice forgiveness – All of us remember previous resolutions that worked, and many that did not. If yours is a big one like shutting down smoking, or giving up other dangerous habits, hang in there even when you slip. Later, as you make real progress, you may be very glad you did not give up.
The beginning of a new year is a wonderful time to post new resolutions, but what we do all year long, day after day and week after week, will determine where we are in 2019. So don’t be afraid to fail, forgive yourself, and try again.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lawrenceville, Ga.