New Year Resolutions

Everyone knows that with a new year comes new goals that people swear they are going to stick to. Some of the most common resolutions that people make every new year:

1. Lose Weight
2. Quit Smoking
3. Learn Something New
4. Diet
5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money
6. Spend More Time With Family
7. Travel to New Places
8. Be Less Stressed
9. Volunteer
10. Drink Less

Now, these might be the most common resolutions that are made, but they are also the most commonly broken resolutions. Let’s face it, resolutions are rarely obtained by the people who make them. According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, only 8 percent of people actually achieve their resolution.

Although the statistics say that people who make New Year’s Resolutions fail at upholding them throughout the year, people are 10 times more likely to fulfill their resolutions if they explicitly make them.

Maybe this is because of the resolutions that are being made, or maybe it is just the loss in determination throughout the year. Either way, there has to be something that can make the success rates of New Year’s Resolutions increase from only 8 percent!

One way to do that is by changing the resolutions themselves.

1. Lose Weight

Eating healthier than one is used to is a lot harder than it sounds. Natural and healthy foods are known to be more expensive. Also, who doesn’t love a greasy burger and fries now and then? Change this to something more specific to the kinds of things you want to happen to your body. If you want to lose weight, center the foods you choose around that, but don’t starve yourself. If you need to lower your blood pressure, stay away from red meats and sugar. Try out new recipes like the “unwich” (a sandwich without bread). Get creative and try new things. Eating healthier also doesn’t mean that you can’t treat yourself here and there. Just make sure your body can handle it and it is not in excess.

2. Quit Smoking

This one is pretty cut and dry as for changing it to make it easier. Maybe, this could be changed to not smoking as much. Set a limit on how much you smoke in one day. A good program that works in quitting smoking is called Quit Plan. Or, change this to acclimating yourself to the new e-cigarettes. There are many people that are saying that these are just as bad as regular cigarettes, but at least this way you can save money in the long run and you will not be putting tar in your lungs. Another plus is the fact that you will not smell like cigarettes. Then, you can ease your nicotine strength until you don’t need it anymore. In other words, this is a great resolution to have, but it makes it almost impossible just quitting cold turkey. You really have to be dedicated to quitting.

3. Learn Something New

The downfall with this resolution is the fact that it is so broad. It’s like saying that you want to read a book in this new year without stating which book you want to read. Challenge yourself and make a specific resolution. Instead of just saying that you want to learn something new, choose a topic or something specific. For example, this resolution could be learning another language. That way, you can set aside time and work at this resolution because you know what new thing you are trying to learn. It will make this resolution have more meaning and have a result that everyone will be able to notice at the end of the year.

4. Diet

Many people think committing to a certain diet is a good thing, but that is not always a case. There are studies out there that say that diets are not always healthy for the body. Change this resolution to eating healthier and being active. That doesn’t mean you have to cut food out of your life and go get a membership at a gym where everyone is way too serious. Eating healthy can actually be pretty tasty. You just have to pay attention to the ingredients you use and how much you eat in one serving. As for staying active, go out and take a walk around the neighborhood. The natural landscape and air are good for you, and you will encounter natural inclines that will work as a treadmill does. This way, you can bring your kids with you, or even a friend and not have the intimidation of all the hardcore gym goers. And it can be a lot of fun.

5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money

OK, this resolution is kind of setting yourself up for failure. In order to get out of debt, you have to pay money in. If you are paying money in, then you are losing money. If this is your resolution, take it in two parts. Once you are out of debt, then start saving your money. Make financial sheet plans, or budget sheets. Physically write down what you are going to do, and it will make it a lot easier.

6. Spend More Time With Family

Family is one of the most important things in anyone’s life. They are the support group that you can always count on. Often times, there are people who make their own families. But as long as you know you can count on them, make sure they know they can count on you. One way to do this is to make a night where you all get together at someone’s house to have dinner. Alternate the house that serves as the host for that dinner and dedicates that night to your family. That way, you will always know that you have plans that night and you can go catch up with them and get away from stress. This doesn’t have to be every week, but it helps if there is some sort of uniform, maybe twice a month on the same nights. That way, you only have to worry about who will be hosting that night.

7. Travel to New Places

This resolution is very broad as well. What kind of new places? New countries? States? Cities? Restaurants? In order to make this resolution successful, define what new places are for you. Also, don’t forget to take in your budget and time available to traveling. If your budget is lower, change this to new cities or states. If it is lower than that, change it to a new restaurant once every month. Just make this resolution more specific to what you want to accomplish.

8. Be Less Stressed

The question you want to ask yourself about this one is, how? How are you going to make yourself relax more? So, instead of just saying that you want to be less stressed, say that you want to take up meditation, yoga or something else that is particularly meant to relax you. It can even be something as simple as having a movie night every other Friday; where you don’t have your phone or laptop near you and you just focus on the movie and being comfortable.

9. Volunteer

Again, be more specific! Choose a cause that you feel passionate about. Make it something that you care about, something you want to be able to tell yourself that you helped make happen. Then, once you find that program that supports the cause you are passionate about, dedicate yourself for a certain amount of time every week (or every other week) to only that cause. You will come away with so many great memories and new connections.

10. Drink Less

If you are someone that feels like you drink too much, do a rough calculation of how much you would drink in one week. Set yourself a limit that is less than that week estimate and stick to it. Maybe you can say that you will only drink one glass of wine with dinner. Or, set a limit where you only drink when you are having a night in town with some friends. Tell your friends that you want to drink less and have them help you out with that. Just saying that you want to drink less is not enough. Setting a specific goal will help you accomplish this resolution.

Resolutions are not impossible. It’s just the way that people choose their resolution that matters. Make it more specific. Tell the people you are close with so they can help you. Physically write down your plan of how you are going to follow through on your resolution. Make 2016 the year that proves resolutions are not just a joke.