There’s something almost magical about the New Year that inspires us to step up to the plate and work a little harder to be all we can be. Maybe it’s the promise of a new beginning. Or watching our friends, neighbors, co-workers and competition turn green with envy.
Whichever works for you.
Why not make this the year you finally find that money tree?
Whatever it is, it’s that certain je ne sais quoi that drives us to step up to the bat and build up our New Year’s Resolutions.
Unfortunately, less than a third of the population will stick with those resolutions through the end of February, and 80% will abandon them completely before the end of the year. So whether you’re trying to lose weight, build your business or finally get through “War and Peace”, the numbers are stacked against you.
Here are 5 tips to help you stick with your New Year’s Resolutions and celebrate your success when “next year” comes rolling around.
1) Tell someone. Anyone. Better yet, tell everyone. When you tell people about your New Year’s Resolutions you’re implying that you expect them to hold you accountable for keeping them-and is there anything more embarrassing than having to explain to Uncle Louie at Thanksgiving dinner why all those promises went flying out the window before you finished shoveling the snow off your driveway?
2) Put money on it. Studies show that people who make losing weight part of their New Year’s Resolutions are much more likely to do so if they’ve got money riding on it. It stands to reason that would be true for any New Year’s Resolution. That extra incentive is just what you need to keep yourself from putting the New Year/New You on the back burner.
3) Create small, definable milestones. You wouldn’t try and eat an entire cake in one bite, right? So why would you try and realize your New Year’s Resolutions in one gulp? Create small, definable, achievable milestones, and celebrate when you hit each one. You deserve it.
4) Don’t resolve to do it if you really don’t care. How many times have you resolved to do something, not because it was something you wanted to do, but because someone else said you should do it? Do I have to tell you how often that doesn’t end well? Don’t do it if you really don’t care. Save your time and resolve for something that really matters to you.
5) Don’t jump off the bandwagon the first time your shoe slips off. If you pledge to give up fast food, then grab a Taco Bell burrito on the way home, don’t throw in the towel. Nobody’s perfect. The sooner you can accept that, the sooner you’ll be able to step up to bat and make your 2011 resolution your reality in 2012.