Resolutions should be small and attainable
By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times
I love the start of the new year for the opportunity to reflect on the past and the chance to enhance the future with positive, behavioral changes.
However, in order to be successful, I believe it is important to keep resolutions small and attainable. Life is hard enough without feeling like a failure because you declared on January 1st to never eat a carb again and January 15th you are head first into a bag of Milanos. I mean, really? Sometimes you just need a cookie…it’s not the end of the world. That being said, I do think that setting intentions can be a worthwhile venture. I asked my friends on Facebook to tell me their resolutions (and they did! can you believe how much they trust me?).
I was very impressed by those who wrote that they wanted to invest in happiness by not sweating the small stuff and focusing instead on friends and family. I love the suggestion of my sister-in-law, Emily, to resist the urge to be on the phone all of the time. It is easy to be distracted by our electronic devices and miss out on reallife interaction with the people around us. This is the perfect example of a concrete objective that is not overwhelming. It would have immediate, measurable results. Winner!
Of course, after the bingefest of the holiday season, it’s understandable to want to immediately lose 10 pounds, drink more water, and workout every single day. However, breaking it down into a doable plan…perhaps committing to hitting the gym three times a week, or replacing soda with seltzer at lunch is the way to go. Enlisting the help of others can also bolster the chance for success. Force your loved ones to jump on to your 2016 bandwagon!
Good luck setting your resolutions and feel free to share your suggestions in the comment section below.
Happy New Year!
