New Year's Resolutions

Every year people make New Year's resolutions. Some find success in doing this and others find it difficult to keep up with them. Here are some reminders that have helped me in the past with keeping my resolutions:

• Make sure they are realistic and you feel comfortable with them

• Make a plan

• Start off at a good pace- don't rush or force yourself too much otherwise you will get burnt out quicker

• Write them down or put them in your notes- you can check in every month on your goals, see how you are doing, and track your progress

• Tell others about your resolutions- this will help hold you accountable as well as having support

• Reward yourself- tell yourself after hitting a certain milestone in your resolution, you can reward yourself

If you are currently thinking of resolutions, start/continue them now, don't wait until the 1st! Something that may help is not using the phrase, "new year, new me." Instead, try approaching it as if you are still the same you, just trying to make some improvements. Research shows that most resolutions are broken by February 1st, with over 65% giving up before then. Starting the new year with a lot of changes can be overwhelming and this causes people to get burnt out, leading to more abandoned resolutions. For example, if you don't exercise but your resolution is to start working out, don't start exercising every day of the week right off the bat. Making an attainable goal like working out 3 days a week for a while, then 4 days a week, then 5, and so on, you are much more likely to stick with it. Keep in mind, resolutions are not supposed to stress you out, they are supposed to help you become a better version of yourself!