HOW TO MAKE (AND KEEP) NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

HOW TO MAKE (AND KEEP) NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Here are tips if you’re taking on a New Year’s resolution.

•Make time to pause and reflect. Decide on a morning to make a cup of tea and sit down with a pad of paper. Or, perhaps you think best while doing a mindless household chore.
•Keep it simple. Settle on one or two things that you really can accomplish. Not a big list.
•Define a goal that is measurable, doable, and specific. “I want to lose weight” is too vague. “I will write out a week’s meal plan and follow it for 10 days” is more concrete. Or, “I will spend 5 minutes praying every evening before bedtime for 3 weeks.” Or, “I will not eat desserts or sugary treats for three weeks.” Once you reach your short-term goal, you can reassess or moderate.
•Create a short list of diversions that could come up. For example, if quitting smoking is one of your resolutions, sip on lemon juice whenever temptation strikes or nibble on sunflower seeds. Keep a pencil in your hand to keep it occupied, or play with a yo-yo.
If losing weight is a goal, plan on making a cup of herbal tea (or a pitcher!) every afternoon to get you through a midday slump. Many people get tired and have less control late in the day; if you get late-night munchies, be sure to buy something healthy to chew on, such as a handful of almonds.

  This year, I resolve to be on time to meetings. To ensure this will happen, I plan to take a moment every day to set an alarm on my phone with a five-minute reminder before any meetings.

Here’s another idea. If you’re not fond of resolutions, how about taking a piece of paper and listing a few regrets about the past year? To help focus on the future.