Do You Have a Hard Time Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions?

For many of us, the New Year is a time for new beginnings and we optimistically start it with a resolve to do things like losing weight, exercising on a regular basis, going back to school, saving more money, or getting a new job.  Some people’s resolutions include being kinder or becoming more involved in their church and community.  Others resolve to do something entirely new and really spread their wings and fly!

However all of our good intentions can quickly fade away come February or March when many of us give up on keeping our New Year’s resolutions.  This is where a few tips come in handy to help us stay the course during 2020; and start by with focusing on the best way to achieve our goals.  For example, if you decide to lose weight, you will be more motivated if you also think about what you will gain such as increasing your energy level and improving your overall health.  

Another thing behavior scientists seem to agree on is that we are apt to be more successful with our resolutions if we start small.  In other words don’t set goals too high, too broad, or too many of them as that sets us up for failure.   So if you have never exercised before, set realistic goals such as three days a week at the gym for ½ hour; and if that works for you, you can add more days/time to your routine as year goes on. 

It is also important to be honest with yourself.  Do you really want to do something or is it something you think you should do; or what others want you to do?  Dr. Karen Lawson, director of the Integrative Health Coaching program at the Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota, explains “Many people don’t make their own resolutions out of what’s most meaningful and desirable for them but rather what other people told them they need to do, or out of fear or guilt,”   When our motivation isn’t from the heart, it typically is not destined for success.  Conversely when we take time to figure out what is truly important to us, we can set a course of action motivated from within.    

To help stay motivated throughout the year, keep track of your progress in a journal.  In addition, share your goals with others who can help inspire and motivate you. 

MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting.  Please contact us to learn more about the finest assisted living Des Moines area offers.

Source: cbsnews.com/news/why-new-years-resolutions-fail-and-how-to-make-them-stick/