According to Wikipedia, a resolution is a commitment an individual makes to a goal, project or altering of a habit. At the beginning of the year many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. These resolutions are goals we established at the beginning of the year, and are usually reflective of our desire to improve our lives or health in some way during the coming year. The top New Year’s resolutions include dieting or getting into shape, discontinuing an unhealthy habit (e.g., smoking or overspending), and spending more time enjoying life or with family.
Although many of us engage in this tradition of resolution making, within weeks we have lost the resolve to achieve these goals. However, in an endeavor to make this year different, rather than just make resolutions, I suggest you make plans to achieve your goals. Plans are the organized steps of definitive actions we use to accomplish goals. Plans somehow seem more solid than resolutions, more of a commitment to take action rather than a statement of desire or statement of intent.
So make the commitment to your resolutions. Get out your organizer, calendar or whatever you use to help manage your time, and develop a plan of action for achieving your New Year’s goals. As you develop your action plan, remember the following:
- Be honest with yourself about what is possible for you, what may cause you to stumble or discourage you, and what would be helpful to your accomplishing your goals. Develop a strategy for managing the discouragement.
- Schedule consistent time to devote to achieving your goal. If possible, schedule the same time on a regular basis. This will help make it part of your routine, and more difficulty to forget.
- Make sure you are realistic about your goals and your plans – the goals are achievable and the plans possible within your life demands.
- Establish a method for holding yourself accountable, such as sharing your goal and plans with a friend or partner who would be willing to encourage and support you.
- Celebrate each step towards the accomplishment of your goal. These mini-successes will be encouraging, and allow you to measure your progress towards your goal.
- Don’t give up. Although I achieved several of my resolutions last year, it was not until near the end of the year that they were fully realized. At various points during the year when I felt discouraged, I had to remind myself that the goal could be achieved at any point during the year.
SBS Psychological Associates, Inc.
