Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions
|
They seem to be throw-away promises to ourselves for many people, and it's nothing for most people to resolve to eat fewer sweets during the year, break the resolution a week or two later, then forget that they ever made it.
We joke about how quickly we break our resolutions, completely ignoring the fact that we are, indeed, breaking a promise to ourselves when we do so.
Of course, if you don't take the promise seriously when you first make it, there's no real reason to continue to try to keep that promise. If it's done just for fun on the spur of the moment some New Year's Eve, then why would you or should you expect yourself to hold to that promise for an entire year?
But there is another type of New Year's Resolution, the kind that we definitely should pay close attention to and do our best to stick to.
These are the kinds of resolutions that come as the result of introspection and reflection, the result of deep thought concerning who we are as people and how that person compares to who we wish to be.
We all have certain character traits or habits that keep us from being that person we would be, and our resolutions can be a way to help us to break certain habits or slightly modify the ways we do certain things.
Maybe we can resolve to read books that will help us deal with our anger or depression or feelings of alienation. Perhaps we can even resolve to get counseling for certain things that we've been trying hard to deal with on our own, but haven't been quite successful in doing so.
There are other resolutions, too, that deserve to be stuck to. We may resolve to write more letters to friends, and if we stick to that, more of our friends will know the pleasure of receiving a letter from us.
We may resolve to do more kind acts throughout the year, and again, others will benefit greatly from what we do. But how do we stick to these resolutions?
There are a few keys that can help us to make resolutions that are realistic and workable:
1. Be Specific. Instead of saying "I'm going to eat fewer sweets this year," say "I'm going to limit myself to eight servings per week of foods that are sweets, especially candy bars, snack foods, and deserts."
Instead of "I'm going to lose weight this year," "I'm going to lose a pound every two weeks" will be manageable and verifiable--plus, you'll have lost 26 pounds over the next year if you stick to it.
If you say that you're going to write more letters to friends you may or may not do so, but if you say that you're going to write at least two letters a week to friends, you have a specific goal that you can measure and verify, and you'll have written over 100 letters in 2001.
Make your resolutions quantifiable and verifiable.
2. Be Realistic. Don't promise to lose ten pounds by February first if you can't do it. Very few people can safely lose that much weight that quickly. Don't promise to read a classic novel a day in the new year. Don't promise to give 50% of your earnings to charity if you can't afford it.
The more realistic you are, the more likely you'll be to stick to your resolutions, and the more pride you'll get out of having accomplished something valuable.
3. Be Others-focused. If all of your resolutions focus on yourself and what you want, you'll be ignoring one of the great truths in life--we find happiness and self-satisfaction in doing things for others.
Do you want to be happier? Then don't resolve to become happier--resolve instead to do a good deed every day for someone else, with no recognition or reward.
These can be simple deeds such as helping a stranger carry something from the store to his or her car, or donating a dollar when the person in front of you in the check-out line comes up 95 cents short. These things are simple, they don't hurt us, and they do make us happier.
4. Remind Yourself Constantly. Write them down and post them where you'll see them many times every day.
Remind yourself constantly that you have a goal or three this year, and that you're working to reach those goals. Post them on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, on your car's steering wheel. Remind yourself.
5. Limit the Number. Don't make a hundred resolutions so that by the end of the year you'll have two or three that you really did accomplish ("Look, I resolved not to throw any litter on the floor of the Taj Mahal this year, and I kept that one!).
Make two or three that are very special to you, and that you know will make you a fuller, happier person by year's end if you stick to them. Then work to keep them.
Your resolutions are promises to yourself. Respect yourself--do your best to keep those promises. And if you break them, don't give up--dedicate yourself anew to them in March or July. And remember as the year goes on that there's nothing wrong with Easter resolutions or first-day-of-spring resolutions!
May you have a beautiful year full of love and peace and hope!
=================================================
This article may be published in its entirety with full credit to author http://www.fulllifeonline.com Heal Your Past Easily and painlessly heal anxiety, phobias, stress, grief, trauma and other emotional issues. Learn how to simply and easily heal almost any emotional issue, often in a matter of hours.
=================================================Self help personal development article about happiness, preventing procrastination, personal development for self growth, Professional development for executive training, goal setting article:
Kick the Procrastination Habit
self help article
by Maria Gracia
“I'll get to it -- when I get a chance.”
You know what that means, don't you?
You'll never get to it!
Here are 8 simple ways to kick the procrastination habit and start getting things done.
1. BREAK IT DOWN.
Seem overwhelming?
Don't look at your goals as one big project.
Break them down into small parts.
Assign a specific deadline (date and time) to each part.
2. WRITE IT DOWN.
Make it official by writing your goals (mini and ultimate) on paper.
3. SHOUT IT OUT.
Tell people what your goals are.
Ask a friend or associate for some ongoing motivation.
4. CONSISTENCY.
Establish a regular time each day to work towards your goal.
5. ORGANIZED SURROUNDINGS.
Organize your environment, complete with the tools you need, so it is conducive to working efficiently.
6. VISIBLE GOALS.
Keep your goals in front of you.
Post reminders of your goals and deadlines where you can constantly see them.
Post your pending rewards along with them.
7. BUSINESS BEFORE PLEASURE.
Make something you normally do and enjoy contingent upon doing the avoided task.
For example: I will not go to my favorite lunch spot until I complete Part A of my project.
By the way, no fair cheating!!
8. SET PENDING REWARDS.
Set rewards for your ultimate goal and mini-goals.
You'll constantly have something enjoyable to look forward to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now! http://www.getorganizednow.com FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips, ideas, articles and more to help you organize your home, your office and your life at the Get Organized Now! Web site!
Try a local search of our site for your answers
|
Great Health, Wealth, Relationships and Overall Success! Become part of a group that has committed to a plan, a process, a blueprint and a commitment to inspect and improve their lives. The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan (including experts Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy) will help you do just that and become the person you desire to become. Visit: www.jimrohn.com today! |
===============================================
SITE DISCLAIMER: The self help personal development resources on this site are not intended to be a substitute for therapy or professional advice. While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this self help personal development publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the self help personal development subject matter herein. There is no guarantee of validity of accuracy of any self help content. Any perceived slight of specific people or organizations is unintentional. This self help personal development website and its creators are not responsible for the content of any sites linked to.
The self help contents are solely the opinion of the author and should not be considered as a form of therapy, advice, direction and/or diagnosis or treatment of any kind: medical, spiritual, mental or other. If expert advice or counseling is needed, services of a competent professional should be sought. The author and the Publisher assume no responsibility or liability and specifically disclaim any warranty, express or implied for any self help or otherwise products or self help or otherwise services mentioned, or any self help or otherwise techniques or practices described. The purchaser or reader of this self help personal development publication assumes responsibility for the use of these self help personal development materials and self help personal development articles and information. Neither the self help author nor the self help Publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these self help personal development materials.
Self help happiness & personal development resources, free e-books and articles listed for your convenient self help happiness personal development search in the self help subjects of self image, relationships, happiness, being happy self help emotion management, panic attack self help, self help for low self esteem, self help famous quotes, anxiety self help, stress management and depression self help articles and resources.
===============================================
Back to Top of page
Back to Happiness self help goal setting Home Page……
