Are you sick of hearing about resolutions? Would you rather hear about how to make them successful? All month you have been hearing about resolutions. Did you know that 45% of Americans usually make resolutions but only 8% are successful in achieving them?  What are the top resolutions people make? It’s no surprise that weight loss, then fitness and health fall squarely in the #1 and #5 slots of the top 10 resolutions for 2014.  Even for me these rank in my top goals for the new year. It doesn’t matter where you start, most people are ready to put the splurges and excesses of the holidays away and to move towards bettering themselves - this year - at last!  So get going, set some resolutions and use these tips to make your resolutions a success.

Be Realistic

1. When you set your health and weight goals keep them realistic and manageable.  That is not to mean that you cannot shoot for the stars, but your goals need to be attainable too.  Sometimes this means breaking those gigantic goals into smaller ones simply to make them less overwhelming.
   

Define Your Goals & Have a Vision

1. If you already said you want better health or to lose weight you probably think that ‘defining your goal’ is done. Not really. Defining your goals means putting more definition and structure around it and having a vision.  Does better health mean ridding yourself of aches and pains? Reducing your cholesterol and then maybe getting off a prescription medication? Being able to be more physical? Or possibly losing 10, 30, or even 50 lbs by a certain (realistic) date?   Knowing exactly what you want and being able to visualize it, is important to achieving it. 
   

Quantify it, Make it Measurable

1. Going a step beyond defining your goals is to have quantifiable, measurable targets.  Are you going to be able to run a 5K by May and then a 10K by December? How about lowering your blood pressure by XX points by your next annual check-up?  How about thinking of your weight goal in terms of clothing sizes or even energy level? In general, you must able to evaluate along the way and measure it in the end
   

Break it Down

1. Now it’s time to get going.  Resolutions tend to be big ticket items, hence why they usually come up at the new year. Plus, resolutions tend to start with unbounded enthusiasm and then fizzle.  A better approach is to get going one small step at a time.  Of course keeping the shining outcome (your vision) in your sights is the destination, but making one small behavior change at a time is the best way to proceed. Moving in a step-by-step way towards your goal helps to develop the habits you need to get there AND the activities that are necessary to help lock in your success.
   

Expect the Journey to Have Ups & Downs

1. No journey, not matter how well planned, moves in a linear way from point A directly to point B without some ups, downs and variation in speed.  When you are on a plane going from NY to LA the pilot is always in a state of evaluation and adjustment but you still arrive in LA.  The same goes for anything that takes more than one action or step to achieve.  Your goals are part of your journey thru life, with lots of living and enjoyment along the way. Expect variations in speed and both low and high points. Enjoy the process as well as the idea of the destination.
   

2. Research shows that people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t. So if don’t already have a mental picture of your year, take the time now to make some realistic resolutions, put some definition on their bones and figure out a plan that can be measured. Stop saying I want, I will, I wish because that will only lead to always wanting, never quite getting there and expecting a fairy to grant you your wish. Instead, look yourself in the mirror every morning and say, ‘I am glad that I am on the path and making my goals a reality. What a great year this turning out to be.’ 
   

A final word. Get support when you feel you need it. If you ever find yourself needing to get more information, motivation, or emotional support reach out and ask. Someone, somewhere will be glad to help.  That includes me. (blog@gladforhealth.com)

[1] University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology. Statistic Brain. New Year’s resolutions Statistics. 1/1/2014. http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

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