Making Your Resolutions Stick

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."

~Oprah Winfrey

Are you making any New Year's Resolutions this year? 2010 represents a new year and a new decade. This is a perfect time to make positive change. But how can you ensure that what you resolve to change or accomplish will actually stick?

1.Make your goals attainable. Many people make goals that are too big or fuzzy to be attainable. Making your goals attainable and specific are the keys to success. Many people list "getting fit" on the top of their New Year's resolutions. What does that mean to you? Is getting fit about losing 10 lbs., being able to climb the stairs or chase your toddler without feeling winded, or completing a marathon? The more specific you can be about your goal, the better. Also, are your goals attainable for you? Don't make your goals so big that they will be discouraging. You will have a much happier and successful year with less daunting and more targeted resolutions, i.e., I resolve to accept myself as I am; I resolve to exercise 3 days a week; I resolve to eat fruit and/or vegetables at every meal; I resolve to tell my spouse I love them every day.

2.Take each goal one day or one week at a time. You can't change your whole year or your whole life all at once. Make one or two or three doable resolutions and commit to these for short periods of time -- 24 hours, 72 hours, one week, etc.

3.Account for Set Backs, and Start Again. Progress is never a straight line. Allow for set backs. Instead of berating yourself and quitting, instead celebrate yourself for noticing and then jump back on the horse. Telling yourself "I skipped 2 days of exercise this week. I'm useless. Just forget it," is so much less helpful than "Gee, I only skipped 2 days this week of exercise. Great! I'm getting better and better at this! And now I'm off to the gym." The more gentle and loving you can be with yourself, the more likely you are to succeed.

4.Get some support. Recruit an action partner or hire a coach to help you in the most loving and accepting way. That "action partner" is someone you'll love having in your life, a friend you can check in with or work together with to help you accomplish your goals. A coach will help you keep focused on your goals, help you clarify your vision, help you create a plan for success, and will help hold you accountable to attain your goals.

Now that you've got some tips for success, what are your goals for 2010? Please let me know if I can support you in realizing these goals. Happy New Year!