The Art of the New Year’s Resolution

It’s that time of year again… Approximately 47% of the US population goes through the

process of making a resolution, and less than half of those make it 6 months. On a

positive note, 75% make it a month!

These are the 10 most common New Year’s Resolutions for 2012:

1 Lose Weight

2 Getting Organized

3 Spend Less, Save More

4 Enjoy Life to the Fullest

5 Staying Fit and Healthy

6 Learn Something Exciting

7 Quit Smoking

8 Help Others in Their Dreams

9 Fall in Love

10 Spend More Time with Family

Nothing wrong there.

So why is my article entitled ‘The Art of the New Year’s Resolution’? Well because over

the last almost 20 years or so, I have, somehow, stumbled upon a very simple way to

achieve many goals and resolutions.

And I have taken it a step further, realizing fully, that waiting for New Year’s to make a

symbolic gesture is most likely one of the reasons so many fail. I believe it has to do

with ‘intent’ and also with ‘faith’…

The first step in creating a resolution or goal list is to be honest with yourself. Do I

intend to follow through, or am I jut saying words and hoping for magic? If I intend to

follow through, do I have a realistic plan? What about my history has made this goal

suddenly more important / have I failed to attain this goal in the past? If so, why?

1. Be realistic and honest with yourself. If your goal or resolution feels negative or

draining, it probably won’t last long.

2. Be specific. (or at least more specific than the examples in the list above… for

instance instead of ‘get in shape’ use ‘run / walk 3 miles 5 times per week’…)

3. Pick fewer things to goal set. I say keep it simple.

4. Any day you fail, make a new beginning. Perhaps the most important of all… We all

are human. We are striving to improve. We are going to have days where we simply

didn’t meet our objective. Expect this. Today is a new day. Yesterday is gone forever.

5. It’s easier to ‘add’ than subtract. ‘every time I feel the urge to smoke, I will instead

walk around the block’… Keep positive…

6. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve… You know what you want. Go get it NOW!

Personally I choose to start my new year with a good night’s sleep, and a run or some

exercise on New Year’s Day. So, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see me out on ‘amateur night’

for any length of time. Also, I tend to glean my list of goals during early December when

reviewing my past year.

I have noticed, too the wording is very important. For instance, rather than setting a

‘number’ for a savings or productivity goal, I choose wording such as ‘prosperous and

abundant’… Or for a fitness goal ‘to participate at a high level in a sustainable way, and

to find enjoyment in the process’… or for a relationship ‘to be open to loving trustfully

and with an open heart’…Or for weight loss ‘to move more, to eat less, and to eat real

food’… Sounds corny, but that’s what I have found works for me.

Best wishes for a healthy, joyful, prosperous new year.

~bk

About these ads