7 Tips to Help You Make & Keep Your New Year's Resolution!

The ball in Time Square dropped nearly two months ago, your enthusiasm for change has weaned and now you are desperately trying to stick to your New Years Resolution, right?
If so, you've come to the right place! Here are...

1. THINK before you Resolve.

Most likely you have already made some kind of resolution, or at least have thought about what you'd like to change in the New Year. Maybe you've already been implementing this change in your life, but is it really working?

Do you look forward to it?

Are you having fun?

Do you want to quit?

If your answer to the last question is yes, then let's start over. Don't panic, its easy. I promise.

First of all you are NOT alone! According to a study done by the guardian.com, 43% of people don't keep their New Year's Resolution within the first month of the New Year and a whopping 80% have thrown in the towel by month three.

Why does this phenomenon occur? I believe it is because our New Year's Resolutions are flawed front the beginning. Hear me out...when you first set out to make a resolution you probably had a list, or at least I know I did, of multiple resolutions you might consider making. The list is both good and bad. It is good in that you've not got something to work with, options if you will, to determine what your next 365-day focus will be. The list is bad, or maybe intimidation is the right word, because now you've got a plethora of options, each having value and you've got to narrow it down to ONE thing, one resolution to which you will be motivated and enthusiastic about for 365 days. Or do you?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's make that list. Write a list of resolutions you'd like to make in 2016. 

My list:

Lose Weight

Maintain my Kitchen (no dirty dishes at the end of the day)

Read the Bible - all 73 Books!

Eat Healthier

Balance Family, Work and "me time"

Run a Half Marathon 

De-clutter Our House (starting with kid's bedrooms)

Get published!


     

    2. Narrow Your Scope to ONE Word
     Now that you’ve made your list of resolutions it’s time to narrow your scope to ONE word. Remember you will be focusing on this one word for 365 days, so make sure you make it count. 

     How do you make it count? Look for a common theme, word, trend or direction each of your resolutions leads you. 

       The trend I noticed when I looked at my list was that each of my resolutions could be summed up in two words – BALANCE & CONSISTENCY.

     

    3.    Now Pick ONE

      This is the fun part! Now that you’ve narrowed your resolutions to a few one-word selections, pick one.

      The great part about picking a word, rather than a task, for a resolution is that you won’t get bogged down as the days pass on, living a repetitive action, having this one task hang over your head. You don’t have to worry about changing your life to make your resolution happen, you make your resolution fit your life! It’s a WIN-WIN!

      For 2016, I chose: BALANCE

    4.    Define it!

      Don’t go get the Webster’s Dictionary for this - no, this is YOUR word! You define it for yourself. Think about what your One Word means for your life.

      When I looked over my original list I realized that I could accomplish nearly ALL of my resolutions if I just had some BALANCE.

      For me balance means learning to juggle it all, without wearing myself out.

 

    5.    Commit & Implement

      Now that you’ve got a word to live by for the next 365 days, decide how you’re going to live it!

      For me this means...getting up an hour earlier, for some "me time", which consist of working out, reading the Bible, watching the news, or writing, starting a load of laundry each morning, then putting it in the dryer when I get home from work, meal planning and prepping on Sundays, to insure that we have quality meals throughout our very busy week. Doing the dishes before I go to bed, so that when I wake I have a clean space – it just makes my day brighter. Taking a leap of faith to lead a Bible Study Group, which has been very fulfilling, it has even prompted us to attend church every Sunday and find ways to get involved in our parish.

      Making time for my husband, whether it is a movie night at home, after the kids have gone to bed, or a date night out, I make a conscious effort for us to spend quality time together.

      Giving our children the best of me, not what’s left of me by spending quality time with each of them every day. We do projects, take walks, watch movies, read books, do homework, talk about their day, play games, bake, etc.

      Lastly, I became a weekend warrior, which still makes me laugh, but I love it. I tackle a “de-clutter” project every other weekend, which has worked well so far – and I get the kids involved too. It isn’t a chore anymore, its family fun.

    6.   Put it all in Perspective

      It is important to keep a realistic perspective otherwise you'll get bogged down. The above ways I shared to commit and implement my word: BALANCE sound great, but let's be real - life happens, kids get sick, holidays come and go, friends and family need us, jobs have demands, change in routines are inevitable and even though you are a SUPER MOM, even you will get tired…and that’s O.K.!

      Since you’ve chosen ONE word, rather than a task, you have a lot of leeway to make your resolution fit your life and that’s what this is all about. 

      If the dishes don’t get done one night, that’s O.K., you can get them in the morning (or the next night). You trouble shoot and do what you can, then get yourself back on track, back to your new routine. Delegate when you have to and make it family affair.

 

    7.    Keep yourself Motivated!

      There is a ton of motivation to be found on Pinterest. Create a Board, title it with your One Word and the year (ex: Balance 2016) and pin quotes, helpful tips or tricks, articles, blogs, funny sayings, anything that will help you motivated to stick with your ONE Word Resolution.

      One last piece of advice, remember to celebrate your success, no matter how small. It’s a beautiful thing when you accomplish a goal because it might just propel you to your next one. GOOD LUCK!