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Email a FriendThis is very helpful to me. I do make new year resolutions every year but don’t follow it. So thanks for sharing this.
Make New Year’s Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep
3 things that help
Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 12:30 PM
If you make New year’s resolutions you wind up breaking, you are not alone. I recently read a study that said one third of people who make New Year’s resolutions break them before February.
I happen to like the idea of making resolutions. Even if New Year’s Day is a purely secular holiday, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t take this occasion for some self examination and consider ways to improve ourselves in the coming year.
Since January 1 is the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, consider making a resolution in honor of Our Lady and asking for her help along the way.
To further increase your odds of making resolutions you will actually keep in 2009, here are a few things to consider when setting your goals for this year:
1. Take small steps. Great changes happen one small step at a time, and it takes weeks for new behaviors to become habit. Do not resolve to lose 50 pounds before February. Do not resolve to get up before dawn every day of the week to spend two hours in meditation before the rest of your family wakes up. Be fair to yourself and set smaller goals that move you in the right direction. Resolve to cut out one food you know sabotages your plan for healthy eating, for example. Or resolve to say a Rosary or get yourself to adoration one day per week.
2. Be specific. “Lose weight,” “Spend less,” and “Exercise more” are such generalized resolutions, they easily become meaningless. Instead, try, “I will skip soda and eat a salad for lunch at least three days per week” or “I resolve to make a list before going to the store and not make unplanned purchases” or “I resolve to walk for 30 minutes after lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”
3. Seek support. Making personal changes for the better is hard work. You’ll have a better chance of success if you surround yourself with people who support you and know your goals. There are plenty of formal ways to join support groups for weight loss or fitness, but you don’t need to officially “join” anything to find the support you need. Share your resolutions with a trusted friend who has similar goals and ask that person to help keep you on track. If you feel weak, if you fail, or if feel like giving up, you will have someone to call to share your troubles with.
I’m still thinking about what my resolutions should be, but how about you? What are your resolutions for 2009 and how do you plan to keep them?
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