Resolutions can be tough to keep at times
Published 2:07 pm Thursday, December 31, 2015
Another year is gone and another is here. How did you do all your resolutions for 2015?
If you’re like me, you probably procrastinated and procrastinated some more and actually didn’t get around to fulfilling any of them. Am I right?
It seems the personal resolutions I make are the same ones I make each year. That’s to quit smoking, exercise more, save more money, eat healthier and relax more. Easier said than done it seems.
I could sit here and offer my advice on how to accomplish each of your resolutions. But I think it would be preaching to the choir.
A person whom I greatly respect and admire for all his accomplishments is Dr. Phil McGraw. He is a fixture on reality television shows and always says what he thinks.
I thought I’d let Dr. Phil take over and offer some of his strategies to make your resolutions successful and make 2016 a healthier and happier year. Dr. Phil, it’s all yours.
• Set a very specific goal — Do you want to work out 30 minutes a day four days a week? Resolving to “be happy,” for example, is not specific enough. If you want to spend more time with your family, make an appointment every week to spend time together. For example, Sunday night can become “game night.” Define exactly what you want in clear terms.
• Set a goal that has a measurable outcome — “Getting in shape” is not quantifiable. Without a goal that is measurable, how will you know when you’ve made progress or even reached it?
• Assign a timeline — “Someday” is not a day of the week. The difference between a dream and a goal is a timeframe for making it happen. A deadline can also help motivate you and prevent you from procrastinating.
• Choose a goal you can control — You don’t control how much you weigh. You can influence it, and you can control the things upon which your weight is based, but you do not control the number on the scale. In identifying your goal, strive for what you can really create — not just what you fantasize about.
• Program your life with a strategy — Willpower is a myth. It’s emotionally powered, and emotions are fickle. Wanting to do something — no matter how badly you want it — won’t make it happen. You need a plan and you need to change something in your lifestyle. Realistically assess the obstacles and resources involved, and create a strategy for navigating that reality.
• Identify small steps — Major life changes don’t just happen; they happen one step at a time. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Steady progress through well-chosen, realistic, interval steps produces results. Know what those steps are before you set out.
• Create accountability — Without accountability, people are apt to con themselves. If you know precisely what you want — and there are real consequences for not doing the assigned work — you are more likely to continue in your pursuit of your goal. Find someone in your circle of family or friends to whom you can be accountable. Make periodic reports on your progress.
• Set your environment up to help you succeed — If you’re trying to quit smoking, for example, the one thing you need to control is your environment. Set your environment up so that it does not support your habit. Don’t keep cigarettes in the house. Don’t buy them at all, or you’re programming yourself for failure. Your lifestyle supports your habit, so you need to change your lifestyle. Yes, there is a physical addiction. But it’s also a choice. Don’t use the addiction as your permission slip to keep doing it.
• Change your lifestyle — If you’re trying to get in shape or lose weight, for example, make sure you have a plan and start making a lifestyle change. It is difficult to be overweight without a lifestyle that supports it. Willpower will not make things change. “Gym memberships don’t take weight off. Using them does,” Dr. Phil says. “Do not feed loneliness with food,” he suggests, and be sure to clean up your environment by getting rid of “impulse foods.” You can’t eat what’s not there.
All these strategies sound simple enough to accomplish. But as we all know, all talk and no action doesn’t accomplish anything.
Happy New Year.