5 Realistic New Year’s Resolutions

Do you find yourself setting New Year’s resolutions each year, only to forget about them months, weeks, or even days later? If so, you’re not alone. According to statistics published by Forbes, the average resolution lasts only 3.74 months. In fact, so many people abandon their resolutions that January 17 has been declared by many sources as “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day.”

If you want to stay committed to your New Year’s resolutions this year, you may want to consider setting more realistic goals. Rather than attempting lofty resolutions that will require you to overhaul your entire life, decide to slowly incorporate smaller habits and routines. For example:

1. If you want to start exercising more, resolve to take walks three or four times a week (rather than saying you’ll hit the gym every day).
2. If you want to get more organized, resolve to clean each room one by one (rather than tackling your whole house all at once).
3. If you want to save money, resolve to eat out only once or twice a week (rather than saying that you’ll cut out restaurants entirely).
4. If you want to read more, resolve to finish one book each month (rather than one each week).
5. If you want to get more sleep, resolve to start going to bed a half hour earlier each evening (rather than saying you’ll go to bed at 9 p.m. every night).

Notably, action-oriented resolutions tend to be more successful than avoidance-oriented resolutions. So, if your goal is to eat healthier this year, you may want to resolve to cook one new nutritious meal each week rather than saying that you’re going to stop eating sweets.

Bonus Resolution: Start Attending Therapy

Is there an area that you feel really stuck? You have tried and tried, but you don’t seem to be seeing progress. Have you considered the benefit from speaking to a therapist? You don’t have to have a mental health disorder to benefit from working with a licensed mental health counselor to examine the patterns and behaviors that are NOT what you want. What is getting in your way of achieving your goal? As a wise mentor A.Stanley says “Direction- not intention- determines destination.”

If you would like to explore your direction with relationships, bad habits or ineffective patterns, give me a call today. I offer potential clients a free 15 minute consultation.

Happy new Year!