Resolved!

by Kris Pitcher

I know you're thinking about those resolutions. It's no secret I'm not a fan. What did you resolve to do last year? I'm wondering how that went...

This past year, I didn't get more organized. I didn't read more books. I didn't spend more time doing artsy-craftsy things...I on the other hand, didn't resolve to do any of those things. But if you must, there are a few things which can set you up for success.

Swap it. If you plan to give something up, swap that habit out for something else. Just plain giving up a habit is really difficult. You need to replace it. If you resolve to give up diet sodas (for example) decide what you'll swap it out with. Maybe lemon water would be a good replacement, or herbal tea. You get the idea.

Start now. There is nothing magical about January 1st. You can begin to make changes now. Giving yourself a head start takes some of the social pressure off of the "New Year's Resolution".

Take your time. Incorporating change takes time. Establishing a new habit takes several weeks. Give yourself plenty of time to be committed to your new goal. If you plan to exercise, make a plan to stick with it for longer than a week...

Be specific. Setting goals for the new year need to be specific in order to be measurable and therefore successful. If you say you'll "lose weight" that's pretty vague. But if you say you will eat a specific plan and exercise 4 days a week...that's specific. You'll be successful, because you can measure your progress.

Small bites. Pick one thing to work on. It's not a good idea to go making several major life changes on resolution. Beginning an exercise program while quitting smoking, taking up French lessons and saving the world might be a little too much to handle all at once. Pick one thing to focus on.

You don't have to resolve in January. There's nothing special about January. If there's something you want to work on, work on it in February, or March. Making changes can happen at any time. Not just in January.

There's a lot of hype, and disappointment around resolutions. We set ourselves up to fail, and then we feel bad about that. Do amazing things this year, start now, make changes, focus on your goals...be awesome. You don't need a resolution for that.