Most people make some sort of New Year’s resolutions. And many of those resolutions have drifted down the priority list already. I believe that the difference in outcome is based on how you go about implementing your “resolution strategy”.
Huh? A strategy? Who knew!
Approach resolutions as you would any goal setting exercise. In order to succeed, you need to have enough of a personal desire – your “why” – so that you’ll stick with it during the hard and the easy times. Working on personal resolutions is really about making behavior changes, which require more of a scientific approach than a casual attitude.
Using some popular examples, if you want to lose weight or exercise regularly, you need to be much more specific to be successful. Begin with specific, discreet behavior changes that are easy to measure. For example, the initial habit change for someone new to exercise may be something like “week one: walk 15 minutes three days a week”.
The point is to pick something that will challenge you, but will not debilitate you. Make your initiative specific. Schedule it. Ask for support from family and friends. Perhaps one of the most important things is to avoid “all or nothing” thinking. If you slip up, don’t use it as an excuse to quit. These are some of the key elements of how to be successful making and keeping resolutions.
Remember that any resolution needs to have personal meaning to you. Avoid the “shoulds” because typically they reflect what other people think is important for you rather than your own burning desire.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
Have a great day!
