New Year's Resolutions: Do or don't?

Every year around this time, people start pondering New Year resolutions to lose weight, save money, travel more, stress less. It’s a well-known fact, however, that about 80 percent of those who’ve made resolutions are back to their old habits by February. That sense of futility discourages some people from making resolutions at all.

 

Do you make New Year resolutions? For me, there is something about January 1 (and the start of school in the fall) that inspires a renewed sense of optimism. I’m inspired to do more, do better, be better, be more!

 

Maybe the question isn’t if we should make New Year resolutions but how we make New Year resolutions. I did a little research and found these three non-traditional methods to create resolutions that are inspiring, uplifting and motivating. Let me know if you think they’ll work for you!

 

1. Make a commitment to someone other than yourself, such as volunteering once a month, supporting to a cause you care about, helping a friend or family member in need. Altruism offers benefits just as valuable as losing weight, such as improving mood, lowering blood pressure, creating a sense of purpose and satisfaction, and promoting positive behavior in others.

 

 

2. Create a theme for the New Year. Pick a word, phrase, mantra or motto that you can apply to all endeavors in 2019, such as Peaceful, Healthy, Strong, Kindness or Adventure. When making decisions or confronting decisions, remember your theme! You can keep your motto front and center by creating a vision board, collage or daily journal. Focusing on intention (eating healthy), instead of specific outcomes (losing 10 pounds) creates a different mindset, which is oftentimes more effective!

 

 

3. Write a letter to yourself to be read next New Year’s Eve. Write a letter that reflects your hopes for the new year, goals you’d like to achieve, adventures you’d like to enjoy and changes you’d like to create to be read twelve months from now. You might also pen letters to be opened every month or every quarter, reminding you of these aspirations and offering encouragement.

 

 

Whether you make resolutions or not, have a happy, healthy New Year!

 

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