Keeping your New Year’s resolutions real

You are probably part of the ‘million resolutions club’ without even knowing it. That club would be the one whose members are the millions of well-meaning and enthusiastic people, who make New Year’s resolutions to change, or improve, specific aspects of their lives. Making resolutions has become increasingly popular; it’s a new personal challenge to start the year with. If you wonder what others are committing to fix, these are some of the most common resolutions:

While approximately 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, News Medical reports that about 70% of them do not fulfill their resolutions for losing weight and getting into shape. Statistic Brain reports that only about 8% of people who make New Year’s resolutions actually succeed at them.

One of the keys to success is to choose a realistic resolution. If your goal is to lose weight, keep your weight loss attainable. Losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time is not a realistic goal. Meet with a dietitian and learn a healthy strategy instead, this may have more favorable results.

Another key to successful New Year’s resolutions is to focus on one resolution at a time. If you are opting for lifestyle changes among your New Year’s resolutions, going about them one at a time will ensure a greater level of success.

It can also be helpful to define your goals. Make a schedule or other specific details for you to follow on how you intend to achieve your resolutions. Create a new eating plan, limit your daily cigarette intake gradually, or begin walking the dog a few times a week before attempting that one-minute-mile run. Defining small accomplishments first will help with overall achievement.

If you fumble on the new eating plan or fail to walk Fido as much as you hoped, tell yourself it is okay to slack-off once or twice. Realizing that implementing new changes takes time, will help you integrate them into your life better and more effectively. Don’t give up on your New Year’s resolutions, and more importantly, don’t procrastinate. Keep at it, and realize that immediate gratification is a sure way to set yourself up for failure.