How to Pick a Realistic New Year's Resolution

Every New Year brings new hopes and aspirations and often the same old resolutions. In fact, those promises people make to themselves are often broken and should be referred to as incompletions rather than resolutions. Nothing gets resolved when what you've decided to change, fix or alter is forgotten until the next New Year comes rolling in. Learn how to set realistic goals that you can actually achieve this New Year.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Resolution

1. Decide on the most pressing issue you want to improve or change. This matter must be simple enough to attain through a few steps so that you do not lose motivation. Having a complex issue as your priority can quickly lead to failure due to the level of involvement required to accomplish your goal.

2. Pick something easy and build on it. If you want to lose weight this year, set your goal for five pounds in five months. Once reaching month two you may have already accomplished that goal, so shot for five more, repeating this in "baby steps" until you are satisfied with your total weight loss.

3. Stay focused on your resolution. Don't allow your mind to wonder to all the other things you shoulda, woulda, coulda change; just focus in on the one thing you've already promised to yourself and fulfill that task before moving on to the next.

4. Tell everyone about your New Year's resolution. By exposing your self-promised proclamation, you are providing yourself with a support system. There's nothing like a friend, family member or co-worker reminding you of your intent to cut junk food out of your diet, use swear words less, stop drinking soda, or whittle your mid-section.

5. Give credit to yourself for accomplishing a small feat. If you've chosen a realistic resolution, you will be able to continue with small adjustments in self-improvement every day of the New Year. Next year, you will be prepared to put another realistic plan in motion because you've already successfully broken the habit of having another year of an incomplete resolution.

Resources

• Popular New Year's Resolutions

[jl5080]

on 12/21/2008 Keep it simple, I like that.

[Beckybugg]

on 12/21/2008 I'm keeping it simple this year, with goals I can work on daily...

[dasbootjoe]

on 12/21/2008 You never want to get carried away with your New year's resolutions. If they are not realistic, you will not stick with them for the long hall. Thanks for sharing*****

[Felicia822]

on 12/21/2008 Great Article...

[TheGlamSquad]

on 12/20/2008 These are excellent tips! It's sticking to the resolution that is a little on the ify side because by Feb. allot of people have forgotten about this resolution that they have made. Great article! 5*****