Resolution Redux

Recommit to Your New Year’s Resolution With These Tips

If you are one of the 68% of Americans that have broken your New Year’s resolution by spring, but you want to be one of the 15% of Americans that actually keep and achieve their New Year’s resolution, we’re here for you! We’ll admit that we may have slipped up on some of our resolutions along the way. But that doesn’t mean we are giving up! And as spring approaches, what better time to renew those resolutions for long-term success?! According to WebMD, the secret to success is not perfection but persistence!

• Review your goals and resolutions quarterly. You may have gotten off to a great start in January, but your progress has waned come March. Reassess where you are and where you want to be, then recommit to that goal.
• Reaffirm your desired outcome. One reason we are so successful in January, but not so successful come March, is that we are excited for change when we make our resolution. We can see the outcome and we want it…bad! But as time passes, we lose our connection to why we had our resolution in the first place.
• Modify your goal. If your plan is to lose 100 pounds this year, but you’ve only lost 5 in the first 3 months, it might be time to readjust your goal. Don’t give up! Ensuring that your goals are realistic will help keep you from becoming frustrated and wanting to quit.
• Adjust your strategy. As you move through your year toward your goal, you will most likely learn a lot about yourself – what works and what doesn’t. Make sure that you adjust your strategy to these learning’s. So if you planned on going to the gym 5 days a week, but hate it so much you can’t get yourself there for 2, step out of the gym and into an outdoor run or to a yoga class.
• Focus on short-term goals. Sometimes a big goal, save $5,000 or lose 50 pounds, can be so overwhelming we don’t know where to start and decide to throw in the towel instead. Break those goals down into smaller pieces that feel doable to you. Start by saving $25 a week. Or focus on eating five fruits and vegetables a day.
• Take a break. Sometimes when you are trying so hard to achieve your goals, you burn out. Give yourself a week off from the gym. Or have a cheat day once a week to help your stamina recover.

WebMD also makes a case for postponing New Year’s resolutions until springtime. According to Clinical Psychologist Robert Butterworth, PhD, the worst time to make a resolution is on New Year’s Eve when stress is high, the weather is bad and everyone is watching to see what resolution you will make. Instead, Butterworth advocates for setting new goals in spring when the weather is better and we feel more energized. Resolutions too often become a short-term fix because of the false sense of urgency the New Year brings. If you want to experience achieving your goals and long-term success, it’s about adopting an improved lifestyle. Ultimately, the best advice about achieving your goals may come from Diane Vines, a personal trainer in Austin, TX. She says, “just do it…and keep doing it.” Maybe it is really just as simple as that. Have you slipped up on your New Year’s Resolution? Recommit to it in the comments section!