Can you Succeed at Your New Year’s Resolutions?

Can you Succeed at Your New Year’s Resolutions?

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions because in the past I have had a lot of things I would like to change, but never followed through. Or, perhaps it’s because I don’t like setting myself up for failure. One thing I do know, goals are not achieved by accident. Goals must be thoughtfully identified and planned in order to be reached.

2014

My friend Erica, wrote a blog post on how to resolve to have a happier New Year – tips from the Blogosphere.  My tip was that most of us fail when it comes to sticking to resolutions – the problem is we try to do too many resolutions at once. We try to make too many changes at once and if you’re not prepared to work on your goals before December 31, then don’t expect miracles to happen on January 1. If you do feel ready for change, please consider these strategies.

  •  Set small, realistic goals. Once you have achieved the small goals you can build on the new behaviors resulting in a greater impact on your health.
  • Instead of focusing on a big change (losing weight) focus on achieving healthier behaviors that will help you achieve your goal. For instance, work on buying healthier food at the grocery store and start eating at home more often.
  • Set a schedule. No goal is attainable without deciding when you’re going to make the small changes needed to reach that goal. The schedule should be written down so you see the steps you will take to get there.
  • Don’t beat yourself up by setbacks. The old adage in therapy is two steps forward, one step back and the same could be said for New Year’s Resolutions. It will help to remember that we are all human, we all make mistakes. It  does no good to get depressed, in fact, beating yourself will actually do the opposite and discourage you from reaching your goals.
  • Use your support and talk about it. Don’t keep your resolution a secret. Tell your friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or to improve your health. The best-case scenario is to find a buddy who shares your New Year’s resolution and motivate each other.

What are your goals for 2014? Share them in the comment section below and start getting support now!

 

About Sara

Comments

  1. Thanks for the shout out and the tip! This is solid advice. I think it will be a great year ahead!
    Erica @ erica finds recently posted..Resolve to Have a Happier New Year – Tips from the Blogosphere

  2. This is so true! I especially love your second point about focusing on small changes, which will eventually lead to bigger changes and a bigger goal. I think it’s okay to say your overall goal is, for example, weight loss, but it’s really helpful to think about HOW you actually plan to achieve that. I’ve set big goals like that in the past, and you really do set yourself up for failure by not having some kind of plan of action with that goal.
    Anne recently posted..2013 Running Recap

    • Anne – I totally agree. You have to break the goal down and create action steps. The smaller & more detailed those action steps are the better.

  3. Great post!
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