It’s that time of year again.
We have a week to decide what goals we will set for ourselves in 2015.
I have set many goals over the years and the majority of the time I end up not following through.
Even though I do not always follow through, I always try to at least challenge myself to make a change.
However, realistically, I know that after a couple of weeks, that resolution becomes, for the most part, a distant memory. So I decided to research tips to succeed in keeping a resolution.
According to a Wall Street Journal article, about 59 percent of people kept their New Year’s resolutions in 2014. Generally, according to this article, people fail to stick to their goals because the resolutions are too demanding, vague or unrealistic.
Dr. Judith Beck, president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior suggests the following tips regarding resolution achievement.
⎯ Predicting thoughts: Beck suggests writing down thoughts when feeling more gung-ho about the resolution and envisioning themselves achieving that goal in a year or five years.
⎯ “No choice” category: Put positive behaviors on a mental “no-choice” list and reaffirm them daily. “If you never give yourself the option to eat dessert, you’ll never have the struggle,” Beck says.
⎯ Partner up: One of the best ways to stick to a resolution is to have an accountability system, whether that is a smartphone application or a partner, Beck said.
Beck also stated that constant affirmation is essential to success.
In my opinion, being held accountable for my resolutions will definitely help me stick to my goals. I wish you all good luck with your goals, as well as a Happy New Year.