Let’s make your New Year’s resolution stick this year! No matter what it is – losing weight, seeking fertility answers, reducing stress, eliminating Christmas debt! - these tips work.
- Be Realistic. Strive for attainable goals. Often we get tripped up because we aim too high. Start small. If your resolution is to get fit, try getting some form of exercise every day, even if it is just taking the stairs at work or walking the dog.
- Focus. Richard Wiseman, psychology professor at Hertfordshire University, recommends we pick just one goal and focus all our energies into it. Think about it: when water runs freely through a hose it goes all over. When we put a nozzle on the same hose, directing the water, it flows with more power and energy. Don’t dilute efforts; focus them.
- Plan. You’ve set a goal, now put in writing how it will work. Even outlining a few steps helps make it official. Include how you will deal with temptation. For example, if you want chips pour some in a small bowl and avoid seconds. If you want a cigarette avoid trigger situations.
- Find a Buddy. Friends keep us accountable. Let me share a true story. After two months of not smoking, I craved a cigarette. I was really struggling. A friend reminded me that I could smoke one, but then I would have to quit all over again, eliminating all the progress I had made. It was enough to keep me on track … for 30 years!
Stay tuned for more tips next week!
