It’s a new year and time for a new start, or so we thought on New Year’s Eve. We were determined to put the holidays and the past behind us and become that person we believe we should be. So, break out the resolutions. This is the year I will lose weight! This is the year I will become more financially stable. This is the year I quit smoking. Now, half way into the first month, we are over eating, over spending and still smoking once again. If that is you, don’t fret, you are a part of the 40% of people who bothered to make a resolution and subsequently were unable to keep it. There is hope still to make those changes, don’t give up.
One of the reasons we tend to fail at resolutions is that we try to make too many changes at once, without really defining what they are. Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time. Break that goal down as well, into smaller more manageable actions. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven.
Be sure to notice the changes you have made. All too often we focus on what we haven’t done, instead of what we have. When I ask my clients how they have done since a previous session, often the response is all about what they haven’t done. I have to stop them and remind them, “what was the question?” It is then that they will begin to see all the changes that have occurred. Once aware of those changes, we can build upon that success with more successes. Reward yourself for each small step along the journey to success. Find a healthy way to feel good about those changes.
