Tips For Sticking To Your Resolutions
Lose weight. Stop smoking. Pay off your credit cards. Sound familiar? New Year’s resolutions tend to be the same year after year, some of which work and some of which (many of which?) don’t. So, how do you adopt a new habit and make it stick?
- Be Realistic. New habits require a time commitment. Start with a change that you can work into your existing schedule. Keep your eye on the prize and begin gradually.
- Set a Specific Goal. For example, “I want to walk every day.” Set an exact time like 45 minutes. Start with 10 minutes a day or add 10 minutes to your current time – then add a little more each week. Eventually, you’ll get there.
- Know Thyself. Your goal might be to lose weight an include more veggies into your diet. But you know you’re not a slicer and dicer. So, think “healthy convenience,” said Geisinger. Buy pre-chopped vegetables, stir-fry meat strips and frozen brown rice. Stir-fry the meat; add plenty of veggies with a little broth. While that steams, microwave the rice. Season to taste for a delicious, veggie-filled meal. Bonus: It only takes 15 minutes.
- Be Aware of Your Vices and Vacations. “Routine is key to starting and maintaining new habits, so interruptions to your usual schedule can be resolution-killers,” she said. “Plan for these interruptions and have a strategy to ease back into your routine and your specific goal.”
- Enlist a Goal Buddy. The more people you tell of your resolutions, the more people who will (hopefully) support and remind you to stay on track.
