Every year around Christmas time we promise ourselves that we are going to turn over a new leaf and, by the end of January, 95% of us are stuck exactly where we were last year. What happens to our good intentions and why can’t we stick to our New Year resolutions?

The first, and most important thing, about any New Year resolution is that it has to be something that YOU really want to do and isn’t something that has been imposed on you by pressure from other people.

For example, losing weight.

If everybody around you says that you have got to shed those pounds but you don’t feel like making the effort to do it, then you are doomed to failure. We can’t change others. Change comes from the inside. Of course, comments from your family and friends can influence you but, until you yourself make up your mind that a slimmer body is where you really want to go, that diet is a complete non-starter.

Okay, so you’ve decided what you really want to change in your life now you have set your goals. You may have heard about setting SMART goals. The idea is that any goal you have will be hard to achieve unless it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed. In other words, you have to say exactly what you want and it has to be possible for YOU within a fixed time frame. “I want to be slim” just won’t work because it’s too vague. Neither will “I want to lose 25 pounds in 3 days” because it is impossible.

“I want to lose 15 pounds by April 30th” is much better.

Then you have to take action.

What you want won’t happen unless you make some changes to your lifestyle. For example, by cutting out sugar, drinking 3 pints of water a day and taking a brisk 45 minute walk 4 times a week, losing 15 pounds in 4 months is not difficult. What can be difficult is sticking with your new lifestyle. Research has shown that it takes people two weeks to adopt a new habit. Once you are through that fortnight it’s all downhill.

One other little tip. We all try to find excuses to put off things that require too much effort. So your thinking goes somewhere along the lines of

New Year’s Day: it’s a holiday – I’ll start the diet tomorrow.

January 2nd: first day back at work, I need that sugar lift.

January 3rd: it’s too late to start a diet this week. I’ll begin next Monday.

There is no better time to start a new life than today. If you wait until tomorrow you are lost and your New Year’s resolution will go out of the window.

Follow the motto of a famous sportswear company

“Just Do It!”

Post from: Christmas Cards

New Year Resolutions – And How To Keep Them