5 Tips on Creating Reasonable New Year's Resolutions

Okay! First post. No pressure. . . ;) It's been a great year. Okay I'm kidding, it's actually been a crazy year, but a good one nonetheless! Every year has its battles but 2014 has really whacked me in the head. BUT I am happy to be closing out the year with good health and nothing but smiles!

With that being said--who will be going into the new year with resolutions? I will be too! And here's my first one: My 2015 New Year's resolutions will NOT end before Memorial Day. That's right. I have that bad habit. I'm all ready and pumped to "get back in shape" and "lose the baby weight" (my oldest child is 4, by the way, so I've obviously had great practice at not fulfilling my New Year's resolutions). Nope--not this year. I vow to start strong and stay strong! And you, my dear readers, are going to help me. (Apologies in advance for the heavy responsibility I just put on you.) ;) Just kidding, but maintaining this blog will hopefully encourage me to stay committed to my resolutions. And if you need that extra push, I'll help motivate you as well!

Anyway, lets get started. Here are 5 ways to create reasonable, realistic resolutions--yanno, ones that you could actually stick to! (That is, if you're lazy busy like me.) ;)

1. Decide what changes you are ready to make. Saying that you want to do something is easy, but are you mentally ready to make those changes? Your mentality plays a big part in all of this! When creating your list of resolutions, ask yourself which ones do you most want to achieve? Those will likely be the ones that you are mentally ready for. And if you decide that you're not ready for them but want to be, you will have to commit to strengthening your mentality as well.
2. Strive for progress, not perfection. What are small steps that you can accomplish in a year? Don't set your heart on achieving the end result right away. Look at the work that has to go in it to get you there and the small successes that you will attain in the process. Making progress is successful in itself! A helpful way to do this is to create a timeline of small goals that will in turn accomplish your big goal. For example, if losing weight is your number one goal next year, decide how much you want to lose each quarter or each month. By looking at it on a smaller scale, you can see what will be most attainable for you.
3. Think of a plan. Think up specific tactics to make sure you can actually work towards your resolutions. What's it going to take to accomplish your goals? Will your resolutions cost you anything? Examples: Will you have to buy a gym membership or exercise equipment? Will you have to pay for a class to learn that new thing you want to learn? Will you be traveling? Start brainstorming ideas of how you will accomplish the things that you want to accomplish and make sure they are feasible for you. You don't have to lay out a day-by-day plan right away (if you do, props to you!), but make sure that there are things you can do to achieve your goals.
4. Plan for the unmotivated days. What are you going to do when your mind tells you to stop? Will your goals allow you to take days off? (Trust me, I know we all need a break sometimes!) Decide what you are going to do on the days you feel unmotivated and make sure that you CAN do something on those days--whether it's allowing yourself to take a break or talking yourself back into it. Maybe it will help to allow yourself a certain amount of days off? For the days you won't take off, how are you going to talk yourself back into accomplishing your goals? How are you going to train your brain to stay committed? (For me it will be posting a picture of Jessica Alba or Jennifer Lopez on my mirror with my face on their body *beach body goals* LOL! #DoWhatYouGottaDo!)
5. Think about how your resolutions will affect other people. Your family, your friends, your colleagues, your job, your relationships. Most resolutions require your time. For example, if my goal is to lose weight, I have to decide how much time I will put towards working out--which in turn, may take time away from my kids. Is that something I want to do? On the flip side, some resolutions will benefit other people. For instance one resolution could be spending more time with your family by leaving work by a certain hour at least 3 days of the week. Your family would benefit but could your job afford that? While making your goals, decide how much time you have to put towards achieving them.

Good luck with your New Year's Resolutions, ladies! When you decide what they're going to be, write them down and tell everyone! You will find that I use this method a lot (I write a lot of to-dos, lists, and overwhelming things down). Sometimes, when it's looking back at you, it doesn't seem that bad! Also, telling people may help keep you motivated. Sometimes I feel if you put it out there in the world you have more of a responsibility to follow through. ;p

Happy New Year's Eve!