Strategies can help you keep your New Year’s resolution

    With only about 10 percent of New Year’s resolutions being met by the end of the year, some strategies might be necessary to consider when trying to stick to your goals. The new year brings the opportunity to start fresh with eliminating bad habits or setting your sights on routines that help you psychologically, emotionally, socially, physically or intellectually.
    Researchers have linked the “fresh start effect” to temporal landmarks in the brain to these motivational aspirational behaviors where one sets out on a new path by sure willpower. To avoid taking on more than you can handle and to ensure reaching your goals with greater success, trying using some of these strategies.
    First, start with a SMART goal. Make your goal for the year specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Making your goal concrete and realistic will help you better plan how you are going to accomplish your goal and help you realize when you have actually made it to your goal. This sense of accomplishment will continue to fuel your desire for more goal setting in the future. For instance, instead of just saying, “I want to lose weight,” make your statement, “I will lose 10 pounds in 12 weeks by exercising in the morning four times a week and cutting out soda pop from my diet.” This goal is very specific, it is measurable, and it is time-bound and has specific relevance by providing better overall health and psychological impact.
    Be sure to make just one resolution. It takes time to establish new behaviors, so do not take on too many things at one time. Worrying about your weight and your spending habits and your family time would be too much to work on all at once, thus making it more likely that you would not keep your New Year’s resolution. Start with just one thing, then move on to the next once you feel you have achieved your initial goal.
    Writing down your SMART goal and making lists about achieving that goal will help you stay on track, and more importantly, when an obstacle arises, you will be more likely to overcome it. Keeping a journal will also help you celebrate your successes over time, also helping to motivate you well into the year. Journaling time might be a good time to do some meditation, where you teach yourself to be reflective instead of reactive. This discipline will help you achieve your goals and instill a positive attitude toward all your hard work.

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