By Paulette Sears

After holiday overeating and overspending, it’s not surprising that losing weight and spending less are very common goals for the new year.  These are just a few of the many New Year’s resolutions people set for themselves. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, few succeed in meeting the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the new year.  Why?

First, we often set out to change things about our lives, but we really don’t have any genuine motivation. When we jump into making a significant change in our life without taking the time to reflect on why or if the change is truly important to us, we tend to sabotage our efforts to change.  For change to happen, we have to first convince ourselves the change we are seeking is worth the effort and is important to us.  Writing out a simple pros and cons list for the change is an effective first step to help yourself determine and strengthen your commitment to change.

Second, we unknowingly undermine our efforts at change when we do not adequately prepare.  For example, if your goal is to eat less junk food or stop smoking, an important initial step is to clean up your environment:  remove the potato chips and cookies from your cupboards; make sure there are no ashtrays, lighters, or spare packs of cigarettes stashed anywhere in your home or auto.  In addition, set a start date to make the change, which doesn’t have to be January 1st.  This gives you the opportunity to take the necessary steps to prepare yourself for successful change.

Third, we often set a goal too large for ourselves.  If your goal is to go from having a cluttered house to having a spotless house with nothing out of place, you will be extremely lucky if you take one step toward meeting this goal.  The average person becomes overwhelmed by such an unrealistic goal and therefore fails to be able to start.    Create small practical goals instead, such as throwing out junk mail daily and not creating more piles on the dining room table, or going through a paper pile each evening while watching a favorite television show. By taking smaller steps the household tasks become manageable and significant progress can be made.

If you have already given up on your resolution this new year, resolve to take the time to prepare yourself for your next attempt at change.  And remember, you don’t have to wait until next year, just pick a date!  Happy New Year.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please feel free to contact Paulette at psears@phoenixbhc.com or at 920-682-1131.