Insuring Your Resolutions Are Successful!

The New Year opens the door to a symbolic new beginning. It is estimated that over 100 million Americans make a new year’s resolution, but only 20% are able to stick with that commitment for change. Tonight we will discuss some “down to earth” techniques for enhancing your chances for success.

Are there some general categories of resolutions that are commonly made by Americans?
• Losing weight or eating more healthy
• Increasing our exercise regime
• A commitment to quitting destructive behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use or gambling
• Saving money

Why do 80% of us tend to fail at maintaining our commitment to change?
• Our resolution is not realistic (we say that we want to lose 50 pounds vs saying that we want to lose 1-2 pounds per month)
• Our resolution is not broken down into little steps (if you commit for increase your savings, it is daunting to imagine trying to save $1000s per month. Try to save $10-20 per week by doing things like not running through Starbucks in the morning or going home for lunch one day a week.
• Our resolution is based on something in the future vs something we can achieve each day (perhaps your goal is running the New York marathon which is far into the future… you’d be more successful sticking to your regime if you focus on running 30 minutes each day for the first week, and increasing your time and distance each week after you are successful.
• Our resolution is based on someone else’s desires vs our own. If you are making a resolution for someone else you are probably not going to be successful. The key to enhancing your success is resolving to something you are committed to change, and feeling confident that it is a real priority in your life.

Any other tips you might suggest?
• If you find yourself slipping, don’t give up. Readjust your goal to something that is “do-able”
• Ask for help or support. Perhaps you’d do better if you have a partner in your goal, or feel more motivated to change if a family member or friend urges you on. Research indicates that people do better with their resolutions when they are working together with someone else to achieve their goal.
• Remember it is never to late to try again… a recent survey from the University of Washington found that most people don’t reach their goal on their first try. So remember it is not about will power, it is about your willingness to keep trying.