January Resolutions

Are you still continuing with your new year’s resolutions? According to an article in the Journal of Psychology, about 50 percent of Americans make resolutions at this time of year in areas of health (lose weight, exercise more, stop smoking) and/or their finances. Unfortunately, it’s also been found that less than 10 percent actually keep up with those commitments.

This is an ongoing problem for all of us. Odds are, for most of us, best of intentions will be cast aside by February. We will return to winter season, and it will be “business as usual” for almost all of us.

So, how can we improve the odds of continuation and success? Here are some additional thoughts to consider:

— Find a partner, or a “teammate”. Is there someone who can share in activities, who has the same goals and mindset as you? Having a partner will keep you accountable and on course. We all will have distractions, and good days and bad days. It certainly helps when you have someone there to join in the fun, and to motivate you and keep you going when inertia or scheduling conflicts present roadblocks.

— Keep a present-day focus. Don’t worry about how to get to August…at least not right now. Just do what you can today towards meeting your goal(s) today, and this week.

— Is it “all or nothing”? Odds are, this will fail. Keeping some flexibility will help to keep you going. One dessert per week will allow you to reward yourself after eliminating desserts and sweets from your weeklong diet.

— Be flexible. Sometimes, your schedule just won’t allow making it to the gym four days per week. Or, the weather stops you from getting out for a daily walk. Maybe you can get in for a good workout on two days, and catch-up the following week. That’s much better than falling short and quitting.

It’s a good idea to use the energy of the New Year as a time to make positive changes in lifestyle and behaviors. But small positive steps make it easier to find the time to make these changes stick.

JD Miller

About JD Miller

John D. Miller is the founder/owner of Home Care Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts business providing private duty, personalized in-home assistance and companion care services to those needing help in daily activities and household functions. Phone: (781) 378-2164 Email: [email protected] Website: https://homecarepartnersma.com
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