Staying Determined with Your New Year’s Resolutions

As a follow up for an earlier post regarding strategies for sticking to your New Year’s Resolutions, now that we are moving steadily through January, below are some additional quick tips for staying on the fast track to meeting your goals this year:

• Continue to provide yourself with small rewards for every step you take toward achieving your goal. For example, if you are trying to improve your finances, for every bill that you successfully pay off, treat yourself to a lunch at your choice of restaurant (preferably an inexpensive one!). Or, if your goal is to lose weight, for every 3 pounds lost, you might treat yourself to a healthy and tasty new recipe that is fun to prepare.

• Apply the Buddy System by teaming up with a friend, co-worker or relative to help you maintain your staying power with the resolution. If your goal is to exercise for at least one hour a day, even if you can pick two to three days out of the week to go on a brisk walk with a friend, and talk about your resolution together, this team approach will help you stay focused and encouraged.

• Set a long term reinforcer for December 31st of next year such as re-decorating or renovating your home to reflect the new you that has emerged from maintaining your resolution goals. Perhaps you will get that set of cookware that you have been thinking about or paint the walls red, or whatever you choose to celebrate your newfound success!

• Add variety into your resolution plans to avoid burnout. For instance, if your goal is to stick to a minimum calorie intake, yet you are eating boring old salads to maintain that calorie count, don’t hesitate to mix it up a bit by adding a sweet treat here and there or enjoying a new, exotic dish with a variety of flavors such as an Indian or Thai noodle dish. Remember, sweets can also be beneficial to your diet if they offer something extra such as the fiber that a couple of figs or oatmeal cookies can provide.

• This is a new one and kind of trendy, but wearing something symbolic to remind you of your end destination in sticking to your goal can serve as additional inspiration and of course, every little bit helps. So, even if you make your own necklace or bracelet out of beads and rhinestones and attach a meaningful phrase to it such as, “this is a reminder of my inner guidance that will carry me toward my destination resolution and help me maintain positive progress along the way” can help you stay on track in your efforts to meet your resolution steps and deadlines.

So, if you start getting frustrated or suffer a setback in your efforts to achieve your New Year’s Resolutions effectively, refer to these techniques to keep you on the straight and narrow. For more information on this topic, visit this link.