The start of a new year is the perfect time to turn a new page, which is probably why so many people create New Year's Resolutions. The beginning of a new year often feels like a fresh start, a great opportunity to eliminate bad habits and establish new routines that will help you grow psychologically, emotionally, socially, psychically or intellectually. Of course, resolutions are much easier to make than to keep and by the end of January many of us have abandoned our resolve and settled back into our old patterns.
1. Choose a Specific, Realistic Goal
Aaron Beall
Every year, millions of adults resolve to "lose weight" or "get in shape" during the next year. Instead of selecting such an ambiguous goal, focus on something that you can realistically set your sights on. Saying that you are going to lose 10 pounds or run a mini-marathon are much more realistic goals. This also gives you the opportunity to plan exactly how you are going to achieve your goal over the course of the year.
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2. Pick Just One Resolution
Justin Horrocks/iStockPhoto
While you may have a long list of potential New Year's Resolutions, Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at Hertfordshire University, suggests that you should pick just one and focus your energies on it rather than spreading yourself too thin among a number of different objectives.
3. Don't Wait Until New Year's Eve
Bartek Ambrozik
Planning is an essential part of achieving any goal. Experts advise people to spend some time planning out how they will tackle a major behavior change. You can start by writing down your goal, making a list of things you might do to achieve that goal and noting any obstacles that might stand in your way.
4. Start With Small Steps
iker
Taking on too much is a common reason why so many New Year's Resolutions fail. Dramatically slashing calories, over-doing it at the gym or radically altering your normal behavior is a sure-fire path to failure. Instead, focus on taking tiny steps that will ultimately help you reach your larger goal.
If you've resolved to run a marathon, start out by going for a jog two or three times a week. If you are trying to eat healthier, start by replacing one of your snack foods with a more nutritious food. While it may seem like a slow start, making small changes means it will be easier to stick to your new habits and you'll reap the rewards in the long-term.
5. Avoid Repeating Past Failures
Ayhan YILDIZ
Another strategy for keeping your New Year's Resolution is to not make the exact same resolution year after year. "If people think they can do it they probably can, but if they've already tried and failed, their self-belief will be low," explained Wiseman in a 2006 interview with The Guardian.
If you do choose to reach for the same goals you've tried for in the past, spend some time evaluating your past results. Which strategies were the most effective? Which were the least effective? What has prevented you from keeping your resolution in the past? By changing your approach, you will be more likely to see real results this year.
6. Remember That Change Is a Process
Konrad Mostert
Those unhealthy habits that you are trying to change probably took years to develop, so how can you expect to change them in just a matter or days, weeks or months. It may take longer than you would like to achieve your goals, but remember that this is not a race to the finish. Once you have made the commitment to change a behavior, it is something that you will continue to work on for the rest of your life.
7. Don't Let Small Stumbles Bring You Down
Sigurd Decroos
Encountering a setback is one of the most common reasons why people give up on their New Year's Resolutions. If you suddenly relapse into a bad habit, don't see this as a failure. The path toward your goal is not a straight one, and there are always going to be challenges. Instead, view relapses as a learning opportunity.
If you are keeping a resolution journal, write down important information about when the relapse occurred and what might have triggered it. By understanding the challenges you face, you will be better prepared to deal with them in the future.
8. Get Support from Your Friends and Family
Richard Styles
Yes, you've probably heard this advice a million times, but that is because the buddy system actually works. Having a solid support system can help you stay motivated. Explain what your goals are to your close friends or family and ask them to help you achieve your objectives. Better yet, enlist the help of others by joining a group that shares your goal.
9. Renew Your Motivation
sanja gjenero
During the first days of a New Year's Resolution, you will probably feel confident and highly motivated to reach you goal. Because you haven't really faced any discomfort or temptation associated with changing your behavior, making this change might seem all too easy.
After dealing with the reality of dragging yourself to the gym at 6 A.M. or gritting your teeth through headache brought on by nicotine withdrawal, your motivation to keep your New Year's Resolution will dwindle. When you face such moments, remind yourself of exactly why you are doing this. What do you have to gain by achieving your goal? Find sources of inspiration that will keep you going when times get tough.
10. Keep Working on Your Goals
Pawel Kryj
By February, many people have lost that initial spark of motivation that they felt immediately after making their New Year's Resolution. Keep that inspiration alive by continuing to work on your goals, even after facing setbacks. If your current approach is not working, reevaluate your strategies and develop a new plan.
Consider keeping a resolution journal, where you can write about your successes and struggles. Write down your reasons why you are working toward your goal so that you can refer to them during times when you feel uninspired and unmotivated. By sticking with it and working on your goal all year long, you can be one of few who can say that you did keep your New Year's Resolution.
References
American Psychological Association. (2009). "Making your New Year's resolution stick." Found online at http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resolution.aspx
The Guardian. Found online at http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/dec/29/psychology.uknews
Have you been thinking about what you'd like to change for the New Year? Most New Year's resolutions involve improving health or getting rid of a bad habit. Don't forget about improving your financial health and your bad credit habits in the new year. As you resolve to make some changes this year, add one or more of these credit/debt New Year's resolutions to your list.
Get your free credit report
Since each of the three credit bureaus is required to give you a free credit report each year, there's no reason you shouldn't be checking it. Monitoring your credit report helps you detect identity thefts, ensure creditors are reporting your information correctly, and enables you to take action on credit/debt problems before they get worse.
How To Get A Free Credit Report
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Clean up your credit report
Don't take for granted that the information contained in your credit report will be accurate. Mistakes happen all the time. It;s up to you to correct those mistakes. Disputing credit report information is free and can often be done online when you check your credit report.
Dispute Credit Report Info
Get out of debt
If you don't have a detailed plan for getting out of debt, you can expect to carry the debt for the rest of your life. Once you make the decision to pay off your debt, you can begin making a plan. Even if your plan spans ten, fifteen years or more, it's better than not having a plan at all.
Make a Get Out of Debt Plan
Repair your credit
Need to fix bad credit? What are you waiting for? The New Year is as good a time as any to start repairing your credit. First, figure out what's causing your bad credit. Then, plan a solution for each of those things. Put your plan into action and you'll be on your way to better credit.
Do It Yourself Credit Repair
Use credit wisely
Have you been using credit in a way that encourages debt? Changing those spending habits won't be so hard to do. At first, it will take conscious effort on your part. After making good credit decisions for a few weeks, you'll find that good spending habits start to come naturally.
Do's and Don'ts of Using Credit Cards
Improve your credit score
Your credit score influences whether or not you get approved for new credit cards and loans. It also affects the interest rate you pay. Lower credit scores risk denied applications or high interest rates. Improving your credit score improves your ability to get good credit card and loan terms.
10 Things To Do To Improve Your Credit Score
Learn more about credit
Many people learn about credit by making mistakes. That wouldn't be such a bad way to learn if credit mistakes weren't so costly. Spend some time this year learning more about credit and understanding the process. You'll be surprised at how information can protect you from costly credit mistakes.
10 Things To Know About Credit
Start an emergency fund
When you have an emergency fund, you don't have to resort to credit or loans when a financial emergency arises. Building an emergency fund can take less time than paying off a credit card used to cover an emergency expense.
Build an Emergency Fund to Fend Off Debt
Pay less interest
Essentially, interest is the cost of having credit. The money you pay in interest pads your creditors' pockets when it could be padding your own. You can pay less in interest by negotiating lower interest rates or paying your balances off sooner (or both). Transferring balances to a zero percent interest rate balance transfer credit card can also temporarily reduce your interest payments.
Negotiating a Lower Interest Rate
Stop paying late fees
Paying late fees is another unnecessary expense that goes to your creditors. Not only do late payments result in late fees, you might also see a spike in your interest rate and a drop in your credit score. These negative results can be avoided by paying your credit card bills on time.
The Effects of Late Payments
Get your free credit report
Since each of the three credit bureaus is required to give you a free credit report each year, there's no reason you shouldn't be checking it. Monitoring your credit report helps you detect identity thefts, ensure creditors are reporting your information correctly, and enables you to take action on credit/debt problems before they get worse.
How To Get A Free Credit Report
Sponsored Links
New Credit Card Rules
What The New Credit Card "Bill Of Rights" Means To You.
www.taipanpublishinggroup.com
Keep New Year Resolutions
New NLP Book helps you set and keep your new year resolutions
www.mxpublishing.co.uk
Debt Collection Software
Collection solutions since 1975 Superior customer support !
www.cybercollect.net
Clean up your credit report
Don't take for granted that the information contained in your credit report will be accurate. Mistakes happen all the time. It;s up to you to correct those mistakes. Disputing credit report information is free and can often be done online when you check your credit report.
Dispute Credit Report Info
Get out of debt
If you don't have a detailed plan for getting out of debt, you can expect to carry the debt for the rest of your life. Once you make the decision to pay off your debt, you can begin making a plan. Even if your plan spans ten, fifteen years or more, it's better than not having a plan at all.
Make a Get Out of Debt Plan
Repair your credit
Need to fix bad credit? What are you waiting for? The New Year is as good a time as any to start repairing your credit. First, figure out what's causing your bad credit. Then, plan a solution for each of those things. Put your plan into action and you'll be on your way to better credit.
Do It Yourself Credit Repair
Use credit wisely
Have you been using credit in a way that encourages debt? Changing those spending habits won't be so hard to do. At first, it will take conscious effort on your part. After making good credit decisions for a few weeks, you'll find that good spending habits start to come naturally.
Do's and Don'ts of Using Credit Cards
Improve your credit score
Your credit score influences whether or not you get approved for new credit cards and loans. It also affects the interest rate you pay. Lower credit scores risk denied applications or high interest rates. Improving your credit score improves your ability to get good credit card and loan terms.
10 Things To Do To Improve Your Credit Score
Learn more about credit
Many people learn about credit by making mistakes. That wouldn't be such a bad way to learn if credit mistakes weren't so costly. Spend some time this year learning more about credit and understanding the process. You'll be surprised at how information can protect you from costly credit mistakes.
10 Things To Know About Credit
Start an emergency fund
When you have an emergency fund, you don't have to resort to credit or loans when a financial emergency arises. Building an emergency fund can take less time than paying off a credit card used to cover an emergency expense.
Build an Emergency Fund to Fend Off Debt
Pay less interest
Essentially, interest is the cost of having credit. The money you pay in interest pads your creditors' pockets when it could be padding your own. You can pay less in interest by negotiating lower interest rates or paying your balances off sooner (or both). Transferring balances to a zero percent interest rate balance transfer credit card can also temporarily reduce your interest payments.
Negotiating a Lower Interest Rate
Stop paying late fees
Paying late fees is another unnecessary expense that goes to your creditors. Not only do late payments result in late fees, you might also see a spike in your interest rate and a drop in your credit score. These negative results can be avoided by paying your credit card bills on time.
The Effects of Late Payments
I love a new year. It almost seems like we can start all over, finally become that wonderful, productive, healthy, happy person we've always wanted to be. The trouble is, the enthusiasm to make changes, especially with exercise and diet, tends to fade once we realize we can't change everything overnight. If you want to make lasting changes, there are three things you can do to make your resolutions work all year long: Adjust your attitude, change your lifestyle and come up with a plan for success.
Adjust Your Attitude
If you have the wrong attitude about fitness, you're already setting yourself up for failure. Most people look at exercise as:
Punishment for bad eating
An obligation
Painful
Time consuming
Impossible to sustain over a long period of time
Boring
If any of these sound familiar, how long do you think you'll stick with your program? Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or obligatory. Before you throw yourself into weight loss, suss out your attitudes about exercise and figure out whether these attitudes are true or just lies you've been telling yourself for years. Then, try a different perspective and look at exercise as:
A break from a stressful workday
A way to boost energy and mood
The only time you'll have to yourself all day
A chance to get totally physical and let your mind rest
A chance to reward your body for working so hard
A way to improve your quality of life immediately
And here are some more key points about exercise that you must understand:
Willpower won't work. Willpower is for short-term success. Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding ways to motivate yourself every day.
Motivation will not magically happen. What motivates you will change from day to day. You have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your life.
You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy. Even the most committed exerciser doesn't always want to do it. Know that you will have to work on it every day.
Diets don't work. Stop wasting your time following someone else's plan for you. Make your own plan based on realistic changes--if you can't follow your chosen diet for the rest of your life, you're wasting precious time.
Your next step is to adjust your lifestyle so you have the best chance of success.
Adjust Your Attitude
If you have the wrong attitude about fitness, you're already setting yourself up for failure. Most people look at exercise as:
Punishment for bad eating
An obligation
Painful
Time consuming
Impossible to sustain over a long period of time
Boring
If any of these sound familiar, how long do you think you'll stick with your program? Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or obligatory. Before you throw yourself into weight loss, suss out your attitudes about exercise and figure out whether these attitudes are true or just lies you've been telling yourself for years. Then, try a different perspective and look at exercise as:
A break from a stressful workday
A way to boost energy and mood
The only time you'll have to yourself all day
A chance to get totally physical and let your mind rest
A chance to reward your body for working so hard
A way to improve your quality of life immediately
And here are some more key points about exercise that you must understand:
Willpower won't work. Willpower is for short-term success. Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding ways to motivate yourself every day.
Motivation will not magically happen. What motivates you will change from day to day. You have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your life.
You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy. Even the most committed exerciser doesn't always want to do it. Know that you will have to work on it every day.
Diets don't work. Stop wasting your time following someone else's plan for you. Make your own plan based on realistic changes--if you can't follow your chosen diet for the rest of your life, you're wasting precious time.
Your next step is to adjust your lifestyle so you have the best chance of success.
Adjust Your Lifestyle
The facts about being overweight:
You can't be overweight unless your lifestyle is set up to encourage it.
You can't be overweight if you haven't allowed yourself to eat too much.
You can't be overweight if you've made a daily schedule that doesn't allow time for exercise.
Never forget that losing weight and maintaining that weight loss is a lifetime prospect. You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So, before you start that same old diet or exercise program, ask yourself this question: Can I sustain this diet for the long term? Is this exercise program something I can do every day?
Once you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you'll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal.
Figure out your bad habits. Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Do it without judgment or shame--you're simply trying to figure out what you're doing every day that may be hurting your weight loss goals.
Replace those bad habits, one at a time, with different habits. Experts know that you can't break bad habits without forming new ones. If you take away your daily Egg McMuffin and don't replace it with something else you'll drift right back into the old McDonald's habit.
This may sound simplistic, and it is. Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn't easy. You have to change your environment to make it impossible to have or even want that Egg McMuffin. Get started with these ideas:
Decide what you'll eat instead of fast food. Stock up on breakfast foods you like, keep meal replacement bars in the car or try healthy fruit shakes or smoothies.
Eat before you get in the car so you won't be starving and, therefore, tempted to hit the drive thru.
Change your driving route to work so you don't even pass by McDonald's.
Don't carry cash in the car (even if you DO have the urge to indulge, you won't be able to), write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so, when you're reaching for your wallet, you're immediately reminded your goals.
Your best chance at making your resolutions last is to make a plan for success. A few simple steps taken ahead of time can save you time and energy.
The facts about being overweight:
You can't be overweight unless your lifestyle is set up to encourage it.
You can't be overweight if you haven't allowed yourself to eat too much.
You can't be overweight if you've made a daily schedule that doesn't allow time for exercise.
Never forget that losing weight and maintaining that weight loss is a lifetime prospect. You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So, before you start that same old diet or exercise program, ask yourself this question: Can I sustain this diet for the long term? Is this exercise program something I can do every day?
Once you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you'll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal.
Figure out your bad habits. Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Do it without judgment or shame--you're simply trying to figure out what you're doing every day that may be hurting your weight loss goals.
Replace those bad habits, one at a time, with different habits. Experts know that you can't break bad habits without forming new ones. If you take away your daily Egg McMuffin and don't replace it with something else you'll drift right back into the old McDonald's habit.
This may sound simplistic, and it is. Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn't easy. You have to change your environment to make it impossible to have or even want that Egg McMuffin. Get started with these ideas:
Decide what you'll eat instead of fast food. Stock up on breakfast foods you like, keep meal replacement bars in the car or try healthy fruit shakes or smoothies.
Eat before you get in the car so you won't be starving and, therefore, tempted to hit the drive thru.
Change your driving route to work so you don't even pass by McDonald's.
Don't carry cash in the car (even if you DO have the urge to indulge, you won't be able to), write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so, when you're reaching for your wallet, you're immediately reminded your goals.
Your best chance at making your resolutions last is to make a plan for success. A few simple steps taken ahead of time can save you time and energy.
Make a Plan
You've figured out how to change your bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones and you've learned to create an environment that doesn't allow those bad habits to exist. Now, you need to make a plan for what you really want.
Set Your Goals
Write down specific goals you have (not just 'I want to lose weight.'). List everything, for example:
How much weight you want to lose. Make sure the amount of weight you want to lose is reasonable for your height and frame. This Ideal Weight Calculator will give you a starting point for setting your goals.
A target date to reach your goals. Make sure you've given yourself a reasonable time to reach that goal - (a safe bet would be to lose a pound a week)
Why you want to lose this weight (i.e., I want to look good in a bathing suit for summer)
What you think will happen if you reach your goal
How you'll maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal (remember, it's a lifetime thing--even when you reach your goal, you can't quit!)
For more, check out Setting Realistic Fitness Goals or How to Set Weight Loss Goals to make sure you're setting goals you can really reach.
Set Up Your Program
To set up a good routine, you'll need to know the basics of a complete program. You're program will involve cardio, strength training and stretching. The resources below provide in-depth information about these different components and how to combine them for a complete workout:
Exercise 101
Strength Training 101
Beginner's Corner
Workout Center
Choosing a Personal Trainer
Ensure Your Success
Success involves using every resource you have to keep you going. Do whatever it takes to be consistent including:
Enlist all family members to get involved. If everyone eats healthy, you won't have to fight to avoid that bag of chips your spouse munches on every night
Hire a personal trainer
Get a friend to exercise with you
Take time every week to schedule your exercise routines
Keep a workout bag packed so you don't have to scramble for your gear
Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress
Reward yourself often with massages, new clothes or a vacation
Change your program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus
Re-visit your goals every six months and gauge your progress. If you're not reaching your goals, maybe you should change them to something more accessible
The important thing to remember is that losing weight requires that you change your lifestyle. You have to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and how you prioritize your tasks. It's easy to lose a few pounds, but it's hard to keep them off for good. Being prepared for what's ahead is your first step in the right direction.
You've figured out how to change your bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones and you've learned to create an environment that doesn't allow those bad habits to exist. Now, you need to make a plan for what you really want.
Set Your Goals
Write down specific goals you have (not just 'I want to lose weight.'). List everything, for example:
How much weight you want to lose. Make sure the amount of weight you want to lose is reasonable for your height and frame. This Ideal Weight Calculator will give you a starting point for setting your goals.
A target date to reach your goals. Make sure you've given yourself a reasonable time to reach that goal - (a safe bet would be to lose a pound a week)
Why you want to lose this weight (i.e., I want to look good in a bathing suit for summer)
What you think will happen if you reach your goal
How you'll maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal (remember, it's a lifetime thing--even when you reach your goal, you can't quit!)
For more, check out Setting Realistic Fitness Goals or How to Set Weight Loss Goals to make sure you're setting goals you can really reach.
Set Up Your Program
To set up a good routine, you'll need to know the basics of a complete program. You're program will involve cardio, strength training and stretching. The resources below provide in-depth information about these different components and how to combine them for a complete workout:
Exercise 101
Strength Training 101
Beginner's Corner
Workout Center
Choosing a Personal Trainer
Ensure Your Success
Success involves using every resource you have to keep you going. Do whatever it takes to be consistent including:
Enlist all family members to get involved. If everyone eats healthy, you won't have to fight to avoid that bag of chips your spouse munches on every night
Hire a personal trainer
Get a friend to exercise with you
Take time every week to schedule your exercise routines
Keep a workout bag packed so you don't have to scramble for your gear
Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress
Reward yourself often with massages, new clothes or a vacation
Change your program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus
Re-visit your goals every six months and gauge your progress. If you're not reaching your goals, maybe you should change them to something more accessible
The important thing to remember is that losing weight requires that you change your lifestyle. You have to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and how you prioritize your tasks. It's easy to lose a few pounds, but it's hard to keep them off for good. Being prepared for what's ahead is your first step in the right direction.
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