2008 Woodie Awards
Stick-to-it solutions to save your resolutions
Nicole Perry
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Resolutions: they are meant to be broken, and no doubt after two weeks of being the new “perfect” you, you are beginning to backslide as well. But you wouldn’t have made your resolution if it wasn’t something you truly wanted to change. So let’s face it, as much as you anticipated the breaking of the resolution, you also secretly hoped you wouldn’t break it, and probably feel just awful that you did.
Repeat after me, I believe in second chances! With these ten-easy-to follow steps you can be on the road to keeping your resolution and enjoying your fabulously updated self.
Evaluate your resolution. Are you a two-pack-a-day smoker who wants to quit cold turkey? An avid couch potato who hopes to run the Boston Marathon? Let’s be realistic folks, while to quit smoking or running a marathon are great resolutions, you have to know yourself and know your limits. Start with small goals––I will reduce the amounts of cigarettes I smoke, I will go on daily jogs, etc. Soon you will have the personal means to go for your big goal, and you won’t be beating yourself up for not managing it in the first place.
Tell others your resolution. Personal dedication and discipline are great qualities, but we all know there is strength in numbers. Let your roommate know that you want to eat healthier and take her grocery shopping with you to keep an eye on your purchases. There is nothing wrong with asking for help and the more people rooting for your success the sweeter it will be when you accomplish it.
Have a resolution buddy. Your roommate may just piss you off if she chows on Twinkies while you chomp on rice cakes, especially if, as suggested in #2, she is reminding you when you ask for a bite of her sweet that you resolved to eat better. So get her on the bandwagon! Encouraging each other, no matter what the resolution, is key to succeeding, and it’s much more fun to get up early and hit the gym if you’ve got a pal by your side.
Schedule your resolution.
If you want to spend more time with friends, work them into your schedule! If you resolve to be more studious, set aside time to study! No matter what your resolution, if you don’t work it into your daily routine promptly it is all too easy to not work it in at all. Carve out your “resolution time” and put it to good use!
Give yourself incentive to succeed! Make sure that you are rewarding yourself along the way, for any little success, and the trip to accomplishing your resolution won’t be quite so tedious. However consider your reward––if you resolve to work out and then reward yourself with Cold Stone, you are counteracting the good you did. Aim for a weekly reward such as a new CD or a night out with friends that won’t hurt your resolution results (although if you resolved to spend less money….maybe think of something else)
Know your own habits. If you want to spend less money and you see Nordstrom is having the mother of all shoe sales, DO. NOT. GO. TO. THE. MALL. Simple. Remove the temptation and you can’t succumb to it. If you want to study more, but know they are running a weekend-long Nip/Tuck marathon, get someone to tape it for you. By anticipating things that can de route you from your resolution, you have a better chance of sticking to it.
If you do break your resolution, don’t beat yourself up. Chalk the day up as a loss and start fresh the following day. Your pride may be hurt, but chances are you didn’t ruin your chances of keeping the resolution in the future. So you wanted to be friendlier and you basically growled obscenities to the telemarketer that called at 8 a.m. this morning––consider it a fluke and continue on. No one said you could change over night.
Learn from your failures (and your successes). Trying to change bad habits is the best way to get to know yourself and your weaknesses. It will make you a better person because you are attempting to change what you don’t like––if you succeed, you have found a new strength and resolve in yourself that you may not have know was there. If you fail, at least you know your faults and maybe you will have an easier time next round because you will no what to look out for.
Enjoy the ride. While sometimes succeeding in your resolution is down right ugly (like when you get up at 5 a.m. to workout before your 8 a.m. class), remember that the spirit of resolutions is supposed to be fun, so while changing bad habits may be serious, remember this is voluntary torture you signed up for.
Try again! Whether you accomplished your goal or not, make sure you think of a new one for next year. Not only is it a useful tradition, but it allows us to grow as people. If you document all of your resolutions year after year, you will be able to see what, year after year, you find unsatisfactory about your life, and maybe that, if nothing else, will be reason to spurn a change. Good luck and happy New Year!