5 Do's of New Year's Resolutions

Are you among the many considering setting some News Year's resolutions for 2019? This can be good or bad news depending on how you look at it.The bad news first. Though there is no definitive research on success rates of New Year's resolutions, the literature suggests that a mere 10% or less of individuals successfully attain their New Year's resolutions.The good news. Despite the obvious disadvantages, you can actually give yourself 5 advantages to ensure you are among the successful 10% of resolutioners. Here are 5 DO's (or advantages) to make you hit your New Year's resolutions every time.

1. Do make reasonable goals.

Setting unattainable goals is the Achilles heel of many resolutions. A quick way to assess if the goal you set is reasonable is to ask yourself, “How confident am I that I will reach this goal by my timeline?” If you are fully confident, then you likely have a very good goal. If you are feeling 50% or less confidence, then you should reassess and set a more doable goal.Example of unattainable goal: I will lose 75lbs by the beginning of March.Example of attainable goal: I will lose 10lbs by the beginning of March through regular exercise of four days a week and moderate dietary portion sizes.

2. Do think lifestyle fix.

Post-holidays can be an ideal time to get back in the swing of things, so the goals you set should be treated as such. New Year's resolutions are merely a jump-start to help you refocus on this year's vision and goals. Avoid thinking that you want a quick fix. Instead, create goals that will serve more like stepping stones that lead you to your annual milestone.

3. Do narrow in on your vision.

Narrowing in on our personal wellness vision requires you to see the big picture so that you can determine where you want to do work first. So, if your annual wellness vision requires you to increase your exercise, decrease your calories, improve your dietary choices of whole foods, manage your work stress, and improve your financial status through regular contributions to your saving accounts, then you should choose one or two to master before you bite off more than you can chew.

4. Do create a flexible but detailed plan.

Having a plan or strategy can make the difference between successfully achieving your goals or not. Create a detailed plan that will support your goal by asking yourself these questions: Who, What, When, Where, and How? Do this a few times so that you ensure you have a plan A, B and C.

5. Do find your motivation and hold it tight.

According to a study conducted in 1988-1989, researchers found that slip-ups were normally related to chronic stress, lack of willpower and negative emotional status. Slip-ups are normal and should be expected when it comes to your goals, because you are human. However, a slip-up can live a shorter life if you are connected and in tune with what motivates you to be a better version of yourself. So, if you have to keep a picture of your children as a reminder to stay focused, or keep a gratitude journal to focus on the positives in your life, then do it.