Make a resolution and keep it this year Make a resolution and keep it this year! At some point you may have made a resolution, but quickly it was broken or forgotten about, this year keep in mind these tips to make your resolution a reality! 1. Plan ahead Don't make your resolution on New Year's Eve. If you wait until the last minute, it will be based on your mindset that particular day. Instead, it should be planned well before December 31 arrives. 2. Outline your plan Decide how you will deal with the temptation to skip that exercise class or have one more cigarette. This could include calling on a friend for help, practicing positive thinking and self-talk. 3. Make a "pro" and "con" list It may help to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong. Develop this list over time, and ask others to contribute to it. Keep your list with you and refer to it when you need help keeping your resolve. 4. Talk about it Don't keep your resolution a secret. Tell friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health. The best case scenario is to find yourself a buddy who shares your New Year's resolution and motivate each other. 5. Reward yourself This doesn't mean that you can eat an entire box of chocolates if your resolution is to diet. Instead, celebrate your success by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution. If you've been sticking to your promise to eat better, for example, perhaps your reward could be going to a movie with a friend. 6. Track your progress Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your larger goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accomplishments will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing 30 pounds, say, focus on losing that first 5. Keeping a food diary or a symptom journal may help you stay on track. 7.Don't beat yourself up Obsessing over the occasional slip won't help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take each day one at a time. 8. Stick to it Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Your new healthful habits will become second-nature in no time. 9. Keep trying If your resolution has totally run out of steam by mid-February, don't despair. Start over again! There's no reason you can't make a "New Year's resolution" any time of year.

What should my resolution be? 1. Determine the areas of your health and wellness: Does your fitness level need to be worked on or diet improved? Maybe it is working on managing stress. These are good starting points as to where to direct your focus this year. 2. Make a list of your resolutions from last year. (If you didn't make any, try to imagine what they would have been given your mindset. 3. Analyze your past resolutions. Did you meet your goals? Were they too lofty? Figure out why you did or did not succeed. 4. List your first goal. Based on your success with past resolutions, make sure it is realistic and achievable Still Stumped? Check out these ideas: -Add 1 extra day of exercise to your current routine -Try 1 new food per month -Attend a Yoga class 1x/week -Get a massage once a month -Decrease caffeine intake

Setting SMART goals- SMART goals allow you to set your goals in a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely manner. Is your goal SMART? Specific - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. EXAMPLE:    A general goal would be, "Get in shape." But a specific goal would say, "Join a health club and workout 3 days a week." Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the feeling of achievement that will help you to continue your effort required to reach your goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished? Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal. Timely - A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, "by May 1st", then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.