Surprising Resolution Strategies that Stick

Promises. They are not meant to be broken but the statistics on keeping the ones we make for ourselves at the start of each New Year are not reassuring. Studies reveal that 97 percent of New Year's resolutions are never fulfilled, and of those who do make resolutions and stick with them, only 46 percent make it past the first six months. So why is it that our well-intended vows more often than not dissolve?  Unrealistic, short-terms goals are the primary reason that many of us do not follow through on resolutions from one calendar year to the next.

The few who do stick to lifestyle changing pledges do so a little less than perfectly, which is not necessarily a bad thing  Being more lenient with ourselves means less thinking in black or white and more living in the shades of gray. Lofty promises are much easier to break than bad habits, so instead we encourage you to incorporate one to two small tips or changes per month into your lifestyle. Here are a few to help you start and end the 2011 on the right track.

1.      Be Less Mindful, More Physical:  Mindfulness - the ancient Buddhist practice that involves calm awareness of one's body, emotions and thoughts, is a useful and increasingly popular strategy for controlling urges, negatives thoughts and behaviors. Yet many people have a hard time being in the “present” all of the time, experiencing feelings of disconnection when habits manifest, as if they happened subconsciously or uncontrollably. It’s this type of disconnected thinking which often leads to food, alcohol, gambling or spending binges, and when that happens it’s hard to break the involuntary thought process. One good way is to develop grounding skills that help you get out of your head and reconnected with reality. Doing something tangible, touchable or physical - it can be a task as simple as scrubbing the floor, coloring or gardening - can get you out of your unconscious state and into a mode that is real and healthier. 

2.    Give Yourself Permission to Fail: A strong-willed enthusiasm for perfection may be your biggest obstacle. It’s a pursuit that is never achievable because it leaves no room to cope with unfortunate setbacks and real life experiences that get in the way of personal progress plans. Perfection can be the enemy of pretty good.  Acquiescing to a less than perfect ideal will help you cope with the life changing adjustments you are trying to make in a much healthier manner. So what does this look like for you? If you are trying to eat healthier or start a fitness program it may mean dropping terms like “good” or “bad” from your vocabulary so that you don’t penalize yourself unrealistically. It can also mean planning occasional treats, breaks or days off that seem “off-plan” into your program so that you avoid sudden crashes and burnout.

3.   Trying Being Bad at Something:  Ever wonder why many smokers gain weight once they quit and why so many recovering alcoholics become chain smokers? It’s human nature to swap out one bad behavior for another. Instead of compromising your health by adopting a new misbehaviors, find one that can help you kick the bad habit without consequences. Pick an activity or hobby you’ve always wanted to try and stick with it, no matter how bad you are at it. This will give you the freedom to do something fun, wild, daring or adventurous just for the fun of it and provide a safe and stress-free diversion when you need one.


4.     Laugh at Your Insecurities: Why fixate on flaws when you can flip the switch with laughter? It’s up to you to hush your inner and hardest critic. To do so, try to shift points of view by re-framing unpleasant thoughts, imperfections or setbacks in a humorous way. When things don’t go according to plan, remind yourself to laugh out loud and embrace the moment.  It’s good for your physical, mental and emotional health.

Finally if you make a steep commitment to yourself for to 2011, offset it with a positive one. There certainly cannot be any harm if we all spent a little more time spent travelling, volunteering or with friends or family be for you?