9 Ways to Create Fail Proof Resolutions

Copyright 2013     Aleasa M. Word       All Rights Reserved

Each year people come up with a list resolutions they THINK they’ll follow in the coming year.  Most have to do with weight loss, not eating certain things or saving money.  As year-end nears, many suffer depression because of not having family around while others look back over their life the past year and get sad at the fact that they didn’t accomplish the things they started out with in the new year.

The problem with resolutions as I’ve said before is they mostly come on a whim and out of some subliminally self-imposed pressure to HAVE a resolution response when asked about having one by others.  I personally believe resolutions should be daily resolutions.  Waiting until once a year is too long to try to make things happen.  Here are some tips to help you create fail-proof resolutions if you must create a new year resolution:

1.  Pick things that make sense based on your lifestyle (ex: saying you’re going to lose 200 pounds when you hate exercise, have no money for a gym, hate healthy food and have no support system – get things in order )

2.  Assess your discretionary budget BEFORE you commit to anything that costs money

3. Write down the steps you need to get you to your goal (you can’t get to the finish line without knowing the way)

4. If your goal is something you’ve struggled with a while, break the steps down in to small pieces so you can feel accomplished all along the way to avoid becoming discouraged

5. Allow yourself forgiveness moments – know that you will mess up but realize it’s ok, forgive yourself and keep moving forward

6. Don’t broadcast your goals to the entire world or it will create a pressure cooker you can’t survive in

7. Find an accountability partner to help keep you encouraged who is not a blabbermouth and who can help you remember the reasons you chose this goal

8. Set reminders with words of encouragement for yourself throughout the day on your smart phone or calendar

9. Decide in advance what your weekly win reward will be to yourself. Don’t make it food if it’s a new eating habit, make it a new piece of clothing to give you incentive to stay on task

Resolutions aren’t easy when you call them RESOLUTIONS! Just commit yourself to working on things in the next year to make your life happier and become a better you. At the end of the year you will feel accomplished and much better about yourself.