How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Every year, just about everyone makes at least one New Year’s resolution. These resolutions are so hard to keep for most of us, but we still make them every year. Here are some tips that have helped me keep mine.

1. Think of them as promises to yourself. Don’t think of them as something optional, something that you can do if you feel like it. If you think about your resolutions as chores, or things that have to get done on a daily basis, then you will be much more likely to keep them.

2. Write it down. Put your resolution on a piece of paper, and tape it to the mirror. Or put it on the fridge. Put it somewhere that will be visible regularly.

3. If you do keep your resolution, make yourself feel good about it. Think of it as an accomplishment that has been achieved. If you do this, then you will be much more likely to keep it up.

4. Give yourself a “reward” if you do accomplish your goal. If you tell yourself that you are going to exercise for 20 minutes a day, and you accomplished that goal today, reward yourself somehow. Not with food, perhaps with a nice long bath, or something that you enjoy just as much, but is simple, and not costly.

5. Get someone else in on your resolution. If you have a husband or wife, try to get them involved. This will make it much easier to accomplish your goals, because there is someone else motivating you. And, if you don’t accomplish them, you will feel much worse about it, because someone else also knows that you didn’t follow through. This way, you can guilt yourself in to keeping your promise.

6. If you are really brave, put your resolution up on your Facebook, or Myspace page. This way, if you think about not following through, you also have to think about all the people who know about your resolution, and who will know that you failed. Also, you can post your achievements on there as well, as extra motivation when you are following through.

I hope that these tips have been helpful, happy 2010 to everyone!