I don’t make resolutions. They don’t work. Kind of like diets. They’ll work for a while and then you don’t feel like sticking with the program and they fail. You might think it’s a great idea to start going to the gym on January 1st or cut out all chocolate on that day, but it’s not going to last. It takes 30 days for something to become a habit, and before that it takes a lot of commitment to stick with something that you may not have done before.
If I feel like I should change something about myself, I have to really believe it. REALLY believe it! Because changing a behavior is hard work. You have to think about it pretty much all the time.
For example, to reduce your junk food intake, you have to ask yourself every time you start to eat, “Is this good for me? Do I need it? Is there a better alternative?” So instead of a bag of potato chips, have a few carrots available. Once in a while I do have potato chips. I decide on the serving I want, put the chips on my plate and SEAL THE BAG so that the chips are not easy to get at. Eating chips requires scissors and a dish. Not something you can do without thought. It’s a conscious decision. “I’m going to eat 10 potato chips today.” I get out the bag, cut it open, count out my chips, and seal up the bag again. It’s much easier if I have a big bag of cleaned, cut-up carrots handy in the refrigerator for when I want a snack.
So, in order for a resolution to be sustained, you have to really want the result. Don’t make a New Year’s resolution. Just do it.
Oh, and Happy 2016!
