The New Years Resolution has a long and interesting history, dating back to 153 B.C. When the mythical Roman god named Janus was placed at the head of the calendar. Being the god of new beginnings; Janus became an ancient symbol for resolution. Always depicted with two faces, one looking forward to the year ahead and the other looking back to the year that was. On New Years Eve the Romans would seek forgiveness from their enemies and exchange gifts; the idea being to cleanse themselves of past sins and bad habits and start fresh.

Nowadays our resolutions are directed more towards ourselves, but are no less important. The current Top 5 New Years Resolutions are:

1. Spend more time with family and friends.
2. Quit smoking.
3. Quit drinking.
4. Get out of debt.

and last but not least…

Get fitter and battle the bulge!

Our resolve tends to be at its highest towards the end of the holiday season; after a fortnight or so of over indulgence. It is easy for us to plan these changes when we are not at the mercy of our recently satisfied cravings. So we sit down on January 1st and decide that we are going to spend the next year attending the gym; walking to work; cutting down on our drinking, and eating 5 servings of vegetables every day. Now, in reality when February 1st rolls around these promises are nothing but faint memories to most of us. Only about 20% of New Years Resolutions are actually kept.

So what causes these promises to drop by the wayside; and what can we do to keep the resolutions that will improve our health and well being?

One reason that we abandon our resolutions comes in the form of discouragement. Discouragement when the results don’t come as easy or as quickly as we would like. Behavioral change takes long lasting commitment and often comes with a certain level of discomfort. It isn’t always easy to force yourself up from in front of the T.V. and go for a run; conversely, sitting in your comfy chair and telling yourself; I’ll do it tomorrow is much more inviting. Below are a few tips that can help you make those new Years Resolutions stick.

1. Set Realistic Goals - Break it down.

Have your long term goals but break them down into smaller steps. That way you will se results and your motivation will remain at its highest.

2. Focus on behavioral change more than on the goal itself.

By changing your actions and habits in everyday life you are more likely to succeed in sticking to your resolution in the long run.

3. Allow for imperfections

Everybody makes mistakes, and just because a few days don’t go as planned doesn’t mean you should throw everything out the window. Stop for a second and refocus.

4. Reward yourself 

Each time you reach one of your short term goals reward yourself. Treat yourself to lunch, go see a movie or do something else you enjoy.

5. Don’t try and do too much 

It would be great if we could loose weight, stop smoking and drink less all at once, but this is too big a mountain to climb, and you increase your chances of failing on all accounts. Take it one at a time.

6. Don’t go it alone, get professional help

A good health and fitness professional will no the strategies best suited to you and your situation; and there is nothing like being held accountable to someone to increase motivation.

So now we have an understanding of why we make New Years Resolutions; why we fail at them, and some strategies to help us succeed. Unfortunately now there is no excuse not to get off our couches, get moving and join the 20% of people who keep their resolutions.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 1:55 am and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.