How to Make Practical New Year's Resolutions

Every year the clock counts down to midnight and a new year begins, full of resolutions that are destined to be broken. However, New Year's resolutions are a good thing. If you think carefully when making resolutions, then a year of success can lie ahead of you. Follow these steps to create practical New Year's resolutions that will be worth keeping.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pen
• Paper

1. Sit down with a pen and paper in a quiet place at least 1 week before New Year's Eve. Take your time and consider the successes and failures of the past year. Think about your life and what you would like to change. Write down anything and everything that comes to mind.
2. Go back through your list and take out any resolutions that are outright unrealistic to achieve in the coming year. Ponder the remaining resolutions over the next few days.
3. Come back to your list and reevaluate. Be realistic and choose resolutions that are practical on their own and in conjunction with the others. For example, if you want to quit smoking, don't also resolve to lose weight. Most people gain weight when they quit smoking, so you will only set yourself up for failure to try both in the same year.
4. Choose 3 resolutions to tackle--one short term, one intermediate and one long term. This way you can celebrate different successes year round, keeping you motivated on your long term resolution.
5. Create a plan. Decide how you will achieve the practical goals in the year ahead. Make your plan as detailed as possible. Keep a diary of your progress throughout the year.
6. Tell everyone about your resolutions. This will make you accountable to yourself as well as your friends and family. You may even find a friend who has the same resolution and become resolution buddies.
7. Be flexible and keep trying. Life can surprise you, so allow yourself to be a little flexible with your resolutions. Re-write the resolutions if you find it necessary. If you slip up, renew your resolve and keep plugging ahead.

Tips & Warnings

• Researchers have said that it takes 3 weeks for something to become a habit and 6 months for it to become part of your lifestyle.
• The top 4 New Year's resolutions are: exercise more, do better at work or school, eat better and stop smoking, drinking or using drugs (including caffeine).