January 06, 2010 Adam Sherwood

avsherwood1@yahoo.com

    The New Year is always a good time to reexamine your life, reevaluate your goals, and set new goals. This January 1st no doubt many made resolutions that they will have already broken. Indeed, sometimes breaking them is half the fun! However, some have made resolutions that they would prefer to see through to the end of 2010. If you’re serious about keeping your New Year’s resolution, here are a few hints to help keep you on the narrow road.
    One of the most important tips is to be realistic about your resolution. It’s great to want to lose weight but it’s necessary to think about how much you want to lose and what time frame you want to give yourself. You can’t lose a lot of weight quickly without putting your health at risk. Setting too high a standard will only lead to discouragement and depression. Also, remember that the “realistic” part is not only about what is humanly possible, but also about what you know you’ll do. A goal does you no good if you have no intention of accomplishing it.
    It’s a good idea to make a concrete plan to keep your resolution. Review your behaviors and see what life changes you need make to achieve your goal. If your goal is to decrease the amount of drinking you do, you might have to change how you approach fun on the weekends – or even change the friends you hang out with. You need to be able to nail down specific actions. The more specific, the better. Having a plan of attack will help keep your mind focused on the prize.
    Few things in life are accomplished solo – so have a trusted friend keep you accountable. Sometimes having someone hold your feet to the fire makes all the difference. It’s even better if they’re willing to pull you away from situations that will tempt you “fall off the wagon.” Be sure to return the favor and help them out. They may need help to keeping their resolution too!
    Finally, and most importantly – reward yourself! Set up a schedule where you can treat yourself for a job well done. For example if you’ve lost the amount of weight that you wanted, why not take yourself out shopping? Or if you’ve gone a few months without a smoke, try having a night out with some friends. It’s no secret that rewards always increase motivation so give yourself something to look forward to after all that hard work.
    If you do happen to break your resolution don’t be too hard on yourself. Lifestyle changes can be daunting and you’re bound to slip up a time or too. Take things one day at a time and before you know it 2011 will be knocking on your door!

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