How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

It happens every year. In a fit of bubbly-induced euphoria normal people pledge to lose weight, stop smoking, save money, find a soul mate, make amends with estranged relatives, and generally be better people. And we pledge to accomplish all of this by February. Now I know some people buck the trend. It's become popular to say "I resolve not to make New Year's resolutions". I have a friend who annually makes resolutions that he's sure he can keep. His resolutions last year were to avoid sky-diving and ballet classes. Lo and behold, he succeeded, and I'm sure he'll be making similar resolutions this year.

For most of us, though, the change of year prompts at least some self-reflection and an honest desire to make sure that the coming year is better, happier, and healthier than the previous year. People make resolutions in an earnest attempt to better ourselves, and we honestly intend to keep them. January is the most popular time of year for people to join gyms, seek budget counseling, and buy smoking-cessation aids. We exercise, save, and chew gum with gusto. That is, until February, when that shattering sound represents all of the well-intentioned resolutions that we simply give up on. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can indeed use January 1 as the beginning of a healthier, happier life. With that in mind here are some tips for keeping your New Year's resolutions.

1. Don't make resolutions, make committed lifestyle changes. This might sound strange, but it involves changing the way we think about resolutions. If you want to lose weight, stop smoking, or save money, you're going to have to make some long-term changes.

2. Be specific. All too often, resolutions are vague ideas about what we'd like to do. Instead of saying "I want to be healthier," say "I want to exercise 3 days/week and give up drinking soda."

3. Be realistic about what you can accomplish. If you're overweight, you won't be a size 6 by February or March. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to be healthier, just that you need to redefine the definition of success. If you have a lot of weight to lose (or debt to pay off), do it in manageable pieces. Shoot for 10-20% of your overall goal. For example, if you have 50lbs to lose, then your initial goal is to lose about 10lbs.

4. Make a plan. This applies to anything you take on in life. If your New Year's resolution is to find your soul mate, decide what steps will get you there. Maybe you're going to join a dating service, or start socializing more. If your goal is to save money, start by making a budget and a plan for paying off your debts.

5. Work your plan. Once you have a plan, work it. After you've joined the gym or bought the treadmill, exercise! After you've met some interesting people, ask someone out! Practice forming new habits one day at a time.

6. Don't get discouraged. There will be times you fall off the wagon. Failure, however, is not fatal or permanent. If you get depressed one day and pig out instead of going to the gym, don't use that as an excuse to give up on your new habits.

7. Stick with it. When February and March come around, pause and evaluate your progress towards your goals. How is your budget working? Have you been smoking? Decide if you've met your goals and made your lifestyle changes. If you have, then good job! Keep it up. If you haven't, ask yourself some questions about why not. Instead of being a time to give up on unsuccessful resolutions, use these as times to re-evaluate and recommit to changes.

8. Celebrate. Reward yourself for the small accomplishments and the big ones. Rewards can be anything you want, but they shouldn't be counterproductive to your goals. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, don't celebrate your first 10lbs lost by eating an entire carton of Ben and Jerry's.

Once you've done these things, just keep going. Before you know it, your planned lifestyle changes will become habits and you'll be on your way to a better you. And next January when everyone starts talking about broken New Year's resolutions, you can smile and know your changes became a way of life.