New Year, New Resolutions

New Year, New Resolutions

New Year resolutions come to mind as soon as we begin the first of January of any given year. What are some of your resolutions this year? Most of us begin with improvements in our physical self, such as lose weight, join a gym, eat healthy etc. Others focus on the relationships in our lives and make resolutions to visit our parents more, or spend more quality time with our spouse or children. We also think about other areas in our life that may require change or improvement such as redecorating the living room. Whatever our New Year resolution may be, the idea behind it is always to somehow bring about a positive change in our being or in our life. 

For many of us, our resolutions only last till February before our old habits and excuses take over and bring us back to where we started. So, how can we make our resolutions long lasting and more permanent? First, we have to EMPOWER ourselves. A resolution after all is a kind of self-commitment or self-empowerment towards change or a goal. Once we have empowered ourselves with a resolution or a commitment then we need to act in accordance to fulfill it. The first step whether it’s joining the gym or signing up as a volunteer, or setting aside time for date night with your spouse is to do just that. The first step is usually easy because we have a fresh sense of a new beginning. However, maintaining our enthusiasm is much harder. 

The second step, therefore, is continuing our commitment to whatever it is that we want to improve or change in our lives. The second step is to therefore, PERSEVERE. Perseverance is a quality that requires discipline, stamina and focus. The easiest way to ensure that we continue to stay focused on our resolution is to enlist a friend or loved one in joining us in our journey. It helps me stay committed when a friend texts me to say that she’s going to the gym, especially when I’m too lazy to go. It helps to have a spouse also invested in date night by sharing who makes the plans each week. Whatever your resolution may be, it helps to have another to share it with you, or at least tell someone about your resolution so that they may encourage you when you lose focus. 

Lastly, REMEMBER why you made this resolution in the first place. Your original resolution was important to you and that is why you made a concerted effort to make the changes you have begun. We all face challenges in our journey to change, but don’t get caught up in the difficult path, but rather remember your goal and the commitment you made to yourself. As you become closer to fulfilling your resolutions you not only have accomplished your goals, but have learned empowerment, perseverance, and now know and will remember that you can achieve anything any day of the year.