How to fulfill a New Year's resolution
The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity to change our life in a new direction. Many people make New Year resolutions to quit smoking or to lose weight, and by February the resolutions have been broken and life continues in the same old way. Why is this? Why can't we keep the promises that we make to ourselves? The reason is very simple: no planning or thought is given to how the promise is to be accomplished.
Keeping a promise requires the same kind of preparation that you need to go on a trip. You need to decide what kind of things you will do. You need to think about what you will wear, how much to pack, and you need to make hotel reservations and arrange transportation. Similarly, keeping a promise to stop smoking or to lose some weight requires preparation and determination. You need to understand that you are going to have nicotine withdrawal symptoms or that you are going to feel hungry. How are you going to handle that? If you don't have a strategy for coping with the problems that you will face, you are less likely to succeed at keeping your resolution.
Here are some suggestions that will help you:
- Remind yourself of your goal every day
- Learn as much as you can about your goals
- Get help from a support group or friends
- Keep a log to monitor your progress
- Every day, try to get one step closer to your goal
- When you reach your goal, don't fall back on old habits
© Copyright - Antonio Zamora
