New Year's Resolutions You Can Keep
It's a new year and a new beginning for many who aim to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle. Here's the chance to make new year's resolutions work for you.
Before you make your resolutions, take a look at the past year:
- Review the resolutions you made in the past year, and take note of which ones you kept successfully. Put them on a list called "2007 SUCCESSES".
Also keep track of the ones that you did not keep
(yes, it happens, and it's fine!), and ask yourself why you weren't able to maintain them: maybe it was a problem of organisation, motivation, time management,
high expectations, etc.
Take note of which ones of these to keep on your 2008 list.
- Print your "2007 SUCCESSES" list in large, bold, colourful font and post it on a wall or desk where your eyes gaze upon for most of the day. It's a great way to encourage yourself in what you are capable of doing.
So, how should you make resolutions that you'll be able to proudly write on your SUCCESS list for 2008?
Be sure to make your choices WISELY. Avoid the pitfall of making too many resolutions, which may make you too anxious that you end up doing nothing. A suffocating environment is of no help to your confidence and motivation.
Make ONE major resolution, two minor ones, and five that are easy to do. And that's it! If, during the year, you have been good enough to keep all your resolutions, then that's the time when you can safely add a few more.
Here are some examples of resolutions for this new year, for those who follow my program:
- This year, I will stop drinking sodas.
- This year, I will walk 30 minutes everyday for at least 5 days a week.
- This year, I will enroll at a gym and go there twice a week...and keep at it for more than 2 months!
- This year, I will no longer snack in between meals.
You can see that this list is SPECIFIC, which is necessary for any change to come into effect. Simply to decide to "eat more vegetables" is vague and open to interpretation.
Now that you've made your resolutions crystal clear, write them down on Post-It notes and stick them in visible places: around the house, in your office, or in the car. You'll surely stay on track this way.
But remember, with every success, do NOT reward yourself by indulging in a big tub of ice cream...that just defeats the purpose! Instead, buy a new piece of clothing, and if your resolutions go well, it'll be a few sizes smaller than the last time!
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