Making a New Year’s Resolution this year? Regardless of how we feel about resolutions, January seems to be a time that 
we naturally look back at the past year, reflect on our accomplishments and set new goals for the year ahead.
Spending time considering what we want for our future is never a bad idea or waste of time. It gives us the opportunity to steer the path our future may take. Although we are never completely in control, having a personal plan or goal is certainly a step in the right direction.
The scary part of creating a goal or resolution for many of us is the fear of failure. We’ve all heard how many people fail to keep their New Years Resolutions and we don’t want to be part of that statistic. However, there are some tips to help increase our success.
Choose to make a change that “speaks to you.” Just because we think we “should” do something, or others tell us we “should” doesn’t necessarily make it a change we are willing to make, not to mention keep. Rather, thinking about something we truly “want” or “need” is more beneficial. Of course, it’s best if these “wants” or “needs” are achievable and realistic, but when we have strong feelings tied to a change, we are more likely to succeed.
Additionally, thinking about WHY we want or need to achieve our goal is helpful. Spend some time and write the WHY down and consider digging even a little deeper than the first reason why. For example: “I want to lose weight because I want to look good when I go on vacation this spring”. WHY is it important to look good on vacation? “I want to look good on vacation so I feel comfortable being in pictures”. WHY is important to feel comfortable in pictures. “It’s important to feel comfortable in pictures so I can look back and remember all of the fun I had with my family and friends. It feels good to look back and remember the good times.”
Regardless of your reasons WHY, writing them down allows us to look back at them on days we are struggling, to remember our feelings, and recommit to ourselves. After a while, its easy to forget why we set our goal in the first place, or maybe it doesn’t seem as important after all. By digging a little deeper into our motivation or WHY, we create a strong connection to achieving what we set out to do.
Another tip for success is to identify how your goal may benefit others. What will we share as we work towards or achieve our goal. This is different than setting a goal because someone else wants us to. Instead, it’s about linking our change to others as well. How might others benefit if you reach our goal? Back to the example: “My family and friends will enjoy the time we spend on vacation more because I will have more energy!”
Deciding to make a change is difficult, sticking with the decision is even more challenging. It’s important to remember it may take time and many attempts – We need to keep at it and learn as we go.
Laura Alderman, MEd, Behaviorist
Valley Weight Loss Clinic