Ramsey County

December 19, 2005

Keeping Those Resolutions

          Are you one of the approximately 100 million Americans who have made a New Year’s resolutions or two?  The idea of starting a new year with a change of pace, change of heart or change of habit can be traced back hundreds of years.   Those first resolution-making folk had the same problem we do now – how to keep a resolution.  Suggestions for keeping your resolutions follow.

          - Write it down.  The simple act of writing out a resolution gives us the opportunity think through some of the steps needed to reach our goal.  Once written, post your resolutions in a visible location – tape them to a bathroom mirror, put them on your refrigerator door, add a sticky note to the dashboard of your vehicle.  Their presence will be a reminder of your goals.

          - Set deadlines and write them on your calendar.  Again, writing something down involves a thought process that affirms the importance of our goal.   Break the resolution down into steps and set deadlines for each step.   Be sure the steps are realistic and achievable so the deadlines are an incentive, not a barrier.

          - Check your progress regularly and give yourself an occasional reward for your efforts.   The rewards do not need to be large or expensive but make sure they are not contrary to your resolution.  Celebrate a cigarette-free month with a new book, a new outfit or time with friends but not with a cigarette. 

          - Share your resolutions with others.  Inform friends and family of your goals and recruit them to regularly remind and support you in your endeavors. 

          - Persistence is a key to success.  A study involving people in the metropolitan Seattle area, found that of the people who successfully achieved their top resolution, only 40 percent did so on the first attempt. The rest made multiple tries, with 17 percent finally succeeding after more than six attempts. 

          - Give yourself a pat on the back whenever or however you succeed with your resolutions but do not do the opposite of blaming yourself for failure.  Examine the barriers that make achieving your goal impossible and look for a better plan to succeed.  Part of that plan will no doubt include behaviors you are responsible for and need to change, but view those changes as opportunities not weaknesses on your part.

          - Frame your resolutions as positives.  “I will exercise more” has a higher success rate than does, “I will never again lie on the couch all weekend”. 

Return to "Extended To You" Home Index

524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu