Have you decided to make that New Year’s resolution this year? If you have, here is a good way to go about planning on how to keep up with it. If you haven't, decide on one New Year’s resolution you are going to do this year - and be specific about it. If you have more than one resolution, focus on what is most important to you.

 

You may also want to think about your reason for doing it. You want to pick something that you want to do for you and not because of the people around you. For example, don’t try to lose weight because other people think you should lose weight. If you are happy with your weight, than don’t make it your resolution. 

 

Keep your focus on the meaning behind your New Year’s resolution. Your thoughts have power. 

 

Decide what parameters you are going to use. For example, in what time frame do you want to accomplish your goal? What do you need to make it happen? Do you need to carve time out of your schedule? If so, make a schedule!

 

Then, write it down on a piece of paper. By writing it down on a piece of paper, your resolution becomes real instead of just being a thought in your head.

 

You may consider not making the same New Year’s resolution that you made last year or in the years past. Change your New Year’s resolution to something new and fresh so you are more motivated to achieve it.

 

People who decide to make a New Year’s resolution are 10 times more likely to change their behavior                                     

- Study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology

 

Where Did New Year’s Resolutions Come from?

The Babylonians are the first to be known to make New Year’s resolutions, which was 4,000 years ago.  They were also known to be the first to celebrate the new year.  For the Babylonians, the beginning of the year was not in January but in mid-March when they planted crops.  They made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed.  If they kept their promise, then their (pagan) gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year.  If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor.

 

In Rome when Julius Caesar messed with the calendar and made Jan. 1 the beginning of the new year circa 46 B.C. named for Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches, January had special significance for the Romans.  Believing that Janus symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future, the Romans offered sacrifices to the deity and made promises to be good for the coming year.

 

For Christians, the first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future.   In 1740, the English clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service, held on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.  Also known as watch night services, they included readings from Scriptures and hymn singing, and served as a spiritual alternative to the raucous celebrations normally held to celebrate the coming of the new year.

 

 

7 Ways on How to Keep Up with Your New Year’s Resolution

coffee cup that says begin

1. Make Small Goals

Sometimes we set ourselves up for failure by making our goals too high. We end up burning ourselves out, getting tired or overwhelmed. Set smaller goals that you know are achievable and are not going to set you up for failure.  Once you achieve that small goal, don’t forget to celebrate it!  After you achieve the small goal, then set another small goal to work your way up to achieving your big goal. Every small victory leads to more motivation.

 

 

stay motivated

2. Stay Motivated

You will be really motivated at first, but that motivation usually wears off with time. Remember, if you only decide to work toward your goal when you feel like it, you'll put it off. You must decide beforehand that whether you feel like doing it or not that you will do it. It is important for your New Year’s resolution to have purpose and meaning to keep you motivated.  It will give you the energy to keep moving forward. It takes skill to control your thoughts. When times get tough and it starts to get difficult, make sure you have something written down to remind you why you want to achieve your goal. You can also keep a picture of what your goal will look like when you achieve it. These things help maintain your motivation.

 

 

 ipod

3. Temptation Bundling

Temptation bundling can solve two problems it can solve a “should” activity and it can reduce a “want” or indulgence activity that make you feel guilty later.  Temptation bundling is when you combine your “want” activities - like your favorite TV show, book, food, music, dessert, or receiving a pedicure or manicure - with a “should” activity - like exercising at the gym, eating healthier, saving money, or cleaning the house. An example of temptation bundling is only allowing yourself to watch your favorite TV show while exercising, or listening to your favorite music but only when you are cleaning the house. It offers a distraction from the unpleasant but beneficial activities.

 

 

silhouette of a group of people in the sun

4. Have Support

Make sure you have friends and family that support you. Don’t confide in ones that don’t because it will only sabotage your goal and make you feel like it isn’t attainable when it is. You need people that believe in you and only those people. Use friends and family as a check in for your goal. Maybe they want to achieve the same thing and you can keep each other accountable. If you want to get serious, you could hire someone to keep you on track. For example, if you want to save money, you could get a financial advisor. If it is to exercise more or lose weight, get a personal trainer or a nutritionist. For other goals, you could hire a life coach to keep yourself on track with your resolution.

 

 

 Goal sheet

5. Logging Your Progress

Keep track of your progress by writing it down somewhere, tracking on a calendar, or taking pictures. If you can see what progress you made and what you achieved, you'll be more motivated to keep going. According to a business study, keeping track of minor accomplishments breeds major success. That is because progress boosts confidence, which inspires you to keep going.

 

 

cell phone that says ideas are shit without execution

6. Make Your Goal Public

Post your goal on Facebook, send out a tweet, or tell family and friends. You are more likely to make your goal when you share it with others. Your friends and family can support you and maintain accountability, making you less likely to give up. It’s motivational when others are watching!

 

 

calendar with pen and pencil

7. Create a Schedule

Get out a calendar, a planner, or your phone and schedule time to work toward your goals. If you’re using your phone, you could create reminders so you can be prepared and get the right mind set. For example, if your goal is to exercise more, than decide what days you’re going to do it and what time and stick with the schedule. If something comes up or you skip the time you have scheduled, you can always schedule it for another day that is open for you. It is important that you make time for the goal you set.  Remember to be flexible and willing to adapt to achieve your goal if needed.

 

Ideas for New Year’s Resolutions

While we have gone through the ways to keep on top of your New Year’s resolution, you might still be trying to figure out what your New Year’s resolution is. Here are a few ideas to help you out.

  • Saving money for a vacation
  • Taking time to look at art
  • Cooking a new recipe every week
  • Reading more books
  • Keeping the house clean
  • Making time for a hobby
  • Making time to color
  • Making time to think about things for which you are grateful
  • Spending more time with family
  • Meditation
  • Getting more sleep

 

How To Keep Stress Low While Trying to Make Your Goal

Here is a list of ways of making your resolution less stressful and achievable.

  • Check in with your goal setting monthly. If you find the goal you set isn’t achievable, change it.
  • Hold the image of the goal in your mind and see it for all its glory. Imagine that you can walk around it and see it from all perspectives. Look ahead at some potential barriers and ask yourself questions like, "What is slowing my progress and what can I do to prevent those things from happening?"
  • Don’t be so hard on yourself. So what if you missed that one workout or ate that cookie. It's okay. Don’t let one slip up make you give up. We are only human.
  • Stay focused on what you can control. Your thoughts, your actions, and your emotions. Don’t focus on what you can’t control.
  • Don’t expect everything to be perfect. If you’re making progress, that is what matters.
  • Try to keep it fun!
  • Being mindful helps keep your stress level down so you can stay focused on the present. To stay mindful, you can do different activities like taking a walk, coloring, drinking coffee or tea, meditating, or yoga. Stay focused on what is happening with the activity and the sensations you are experiencing along the way. Feel your feet pound as you walk. Listen to the sound of the birds. Smell the scents in the air. Staying in the present helps you enjoy the journey.
  • When things become difficult, just take a couple deep breaths and refocus your mind. Try to stay positive.
  • Journal – put your frustrations on paper and write ways to help you to get beyond the obstacles that are in your way.
  • Stay with what works and don’t stop. Sometimes we feel like when something is working, we don’t need to do it anymore, but you need to stay the course.
  • Decide on what strategies you will use if making your goal gets difficult.

 

Fun New Year’s Facts

Here are some fun facts about New Year’s.

 

 

 

 

 

New Year’s Resolutions

These are just suggestions on ways to make your New Year’s resolution. Pick and choose what you want to try and what works for you. Everyone is unique and different. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another. We are creatures of habit, so it is hard to create a new habit. If you do give up, use it as a learning experience. Look at what did and didn’t work. If you decide to attempt that goal again, you have some useful strategies in place for potential success in the future. Don’t ever look at it as a failure. You tried and that is what matters. As the saying goes, it is better to try and fail than to never have tried at all.

 

How Are You Going to Make Your New Year’s Resolution Goal?

Now take some time to decide what your New Year’s resolution is going to be and start planning for success. What is your New Year’s Resolution? What is the best way for you to make your goal without causing yourself too much stress?  Use the tools that I gave you to make your New Year’s resolution a success. I know you will succeed! I believe in you!

*HUGS*

Marie

Helping You Escape Daily Stress by Using Art to Relax

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