Ten Step New Year's Resolution Plan

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1. Choose a resolution that suits you. Don't be swayed by peer pressure or trends. For example, if you hate swimming, why would you choose the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon? Go with a goal that's right for your.

2. Be realistic. The most common mistake is to shoot for the moon–aiming your sights far too high, and thereby setting yourself up for failure. Be fair to yourself: Assess what you've been able to achieve in the past, and work off of this baseline. The primary example of this is the ubiquitous, "I'm going to quite smoking," a resolution that tends to get blown off—literally—during the latter stages of a New Year's day hangover. Make a more reasonable pledge, such as "I'm going to cut down each month with the goal of quitting by the end of the year."

3. Make a single resolution. We all have many aspects we'd like to improve, but don't try and take them on all at once. Focus on one major goal. If you're succeeding come mid-year and want to add something else, that's great. January isn't the only time you can set goals for yourself.

4. Target behavioral change rather than a number. You may target something like an event or race as part of your plan, but make the ultimate goal to change your behavior. That way if you get sick, injured, or are too busy to participate in your event, you can still see your resolution through.

5. Plan in advance. Statistics are skewed by those who make resolutions at the last minute—vowing to quit drinking while 10 drinks into New Year's Eve. These resolutions often don't make it through the first night. Planning ahead allows you to make rational decisions about what you are capable of. It also allows you to figure out how you're going to break old patterns or avoid temptation.

6. Allow some failure. It isn't realistic to think you'll make it through an entire year without a glitch–after all, none of us are perfect. A resolution that doesn't account for any slip-ups is one that's designed to fail. Find ways to make up for mistakes, and don't be too hard on yourself. Mistakes are part of life.

7. Get support. Announce your resolution to family and friends so that they can be there to help... and then allow them to help. Even the strongest of us need support from time to time. For most of the popular resolutions (exercise, diet, smoking, etc.), there are support groups available. .

8. Change your point of view. The mind is a powerful ally. Re-program yours to focus on the positive effects of your resolution. Instead of thinking about how it might rob you of a pleasure, focus on how it's going to make you feel happier and healthier. So, instead of "cutting down on drinking," you are "treating your body with more respect."

9. Stick to the plan. Don't give up. Throughout an entire year, you're bound to go through a bad stretch or two; we all do. Hang in there and fight through it. Even if you barely have the motivation to get out of bed, keep going. Fighting through the bad times gives you resolve and makes the good times that much sweeter. And don't forget the Nietzschean rhetoric: "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."

10. Remember the ultimate goal. All you're really trying to do is improve your life, right? Keep this in mind, and keep going even if you slip on the original goal. Because what is failure anyway? You still improve, just not as fast as you had planned, which by definition in the grand scheme of things is not failure at all, but success.

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