5 Solutions for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

Posted by on Jan 1, 2015 in Zumba® | Comments Off on 5 Solutions for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

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It’s the time of year when people are launching their New Year’s resolutions. The solutions below will help you make a manageable New Year’s resolution and give you ideas for how to keep it.

Focus on the Positive

People tend to make New Year’s resolutions on things they struggle with or areas of weakness. Coming up with a positive twist on your New Year’s resolution may help motivate you. For example, instead of resolving to “lose weight,” set a goal to be more active by adding exercise or an activity that gets you moving. Also, focus on the benefits that will come from accomplishing your goal. If you can visualize what you will gain from sticking with your resolution, you will have a better chance of keeping it.

Be SMART 

At the beginning of the school year I wrote a post about creating SMART goals—goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. You can apply the same SMART goals concept to your New Year’s resolution by breaking it down into smaller goals. Creating SMART goals will help you set parameters and know if you are on track. Below is an example of how you can create a SMART goal to help you reach your overall New Year’s Resolution.

New Year’s Resolution: Move more.

SMART Goal: In order to support my New Year’s resolution of moving more, I will come to a Zumba class with Lizy. Starting on January 7, I will attend Zumba on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8 pm.

  • Specific: The goal addresses what you want to accomplish and answers the 5 Ws (Who? What? Where? When? Why?).
  • Measurable: The goal is simple to measure—did you go to Zumba or not?
  • Attainable: This goal is realistic because it adds activity two days a week. (Aiming for four days a week right away isn’t likely to be attainable.)
  • Relevant: The goal is relevant to life as a healthy person resolving to move more in the New Year.
  • Time-bound: The goal specifies when it will start (January 7) and how long each Zumba session will last (one hour).

Go Public
If you are having a hard time committing to your resolution, telling others about your goals may provide support and help hold you accountable. Share your New Year’s resolution with family, friends, and coworkers. Use your cyber resources, too: When you are trying to move more, it can be motivating to have someone “like” your Facebook status every time you go to class. If you are working to get organized, posting before-and-after pictures of a closet or cabinet could help you get some positive feedback and motivation to unclutter more areas.

Find Strength in Numbers
Finding a friend who has the same New Year’s resolution can boost the chances of success for both of you. Planning to move more? Join an exercise class together—it’s much harder to skip a workout when you know your friend will be there waiting for you. Planning to reduce clutter? Arrange with a friend to help each other unclutter various areas of your homes. You could even host a tag sale or navigate eBay together with things you want to sell. Need someone to keep you in check? Even if you are miles apart, you can get a friend’s support via phone or online. Schedule daily or weekly phone check-ins to share your progress toward your goal.

Set Yourself Up for Success
Think about what tools you will need to be successful in accomplishing your New Year’s resolution—and get them ready! Below I recommend some items related to popular New Year’s resolutions that will help set you up for success:

  • Calendar or agenda: No matter what your New Year’s resolution, a calendar or logbook can help keep you on track. Record progress toward your goal and schedule workouts or projects. Printed calendars go on sale after January 1, so now is a great time to buy one! You can also use a digital calendar on your computer or smartphone.
  • Punch Card and/or workout gear: It’s pretty hard to stick with an exercise goal if you have nowhere to exercise, nothing to wear, and no gear to use.
  • Organizational supplies: If you want to reduce clutter and reclaim your space, purchase boxes and containers to store your items, or reuse boxes from your holiday gifts. You will also need some bags or boxes to collect items to sell or donate.