a new year: a guide to making your resolutions

Year after year people make New Year's resolutions,

and year after year people CAN'T keep them.

Well, ya know what?

I have some great tips to help you BREAK that cycle!! :)

1. Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew!

A lot of us make resolutions like this:

Don't drink ANY caffeine!

Work out AT LEAST 20 minutes a day!

Here's the problem with that...

The chances of you doing it ...basically non-existent.

Try:

Drink less caffeine.

Try to drink no more than one diet coke a week.

Work out 3 times a week.

Something doable!

Because the first time you break your resolution, you'll give up.

Unless..

2. Don't Wait to Try Again

Let's say you do make the resolution to drink no more than one diet coke a week.

You have a slew of tests coming up and a lot of work to do, and you let yourself slide..

you drink a diet coke three days in a row.

That's when most of us say something like this:

"Well, I blew it. I'm done. I tried"

or

"I'll try again on Monday!"

NO!

Try again right then and there!

You won't ruin your resolution by slipping or messing up,

you'll ruin your resolution by giving up or waiting to try again!

3. Plan it Out

Instead of "Work out three times a week"

try "Take time every Sunday to plan when I can work out that week"

or "Work out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 pm"

The more specific you can be, the more likely you will succeed.

4. Keep it Positive

Lots and lots of "don'ts" "never" and "DO NOTs" can help you better yourself,

but the goal is to make yourself feel and become better,

lots of negative resolutions can make you feel reaaaaaallly cruddy when you mess up.

Instead of "Don't eat junkfood"

try "When I feel hungry, eat a carrot or an apple"

"Try new healthy foods once a week"

If you must have a "don't" resolution, try to replace the don't park with a "do"

Like... "don't drink so much caffeine, drink more water!"

Resolutions don't do us any good if we set ourselves up for failure.

So, set yourself up for success!!!

:D