New Year's Resolutions... Resolve and believe

I admit up front that I am a fan of New Year's Resolutions. Always have been, and probably always will be. I like the idea of trying to get better, and continually striving to be the best I can be. So it's always a bit disappointing to me when the topic comes up, and 90% of the people in the room say they don't even bother making resolutions any more.

Why is that? Have we lost the ability to believe we can do better? Goodness knows that we all have something we can improve somewhere. So why do so few of us make resolutions each year and try to stick with them? I admit that I don't have the answer, but I do have some tips that will hopefully help you become a believer too. So here there are, just in case you're wondering if maybe you'll make a resolution for 2009... or for whatever year you happen to stumble upon this.

1. Think Small. Don't drown yourself in 30 or 20 resolutions... or even 10. Pick one or maybe just a couple of others that mean something to you, and focus on them. Write them down where you can see them regularly, and keep them simple.

2. Be specific. Don't just say you want to lose weight, or read more, or get in shape. How will you do it? What specifically will be the benefit of doing it? When will you fit it into your daily or weekly schedule? Where will be your place to run or read or just hide away? Make your plans now, rather than waiting to figure out these details in the midst of your busy days to come.

3. Revisit. Book specific dates and times in your Daytimer or computer calendar when you'll reflect and rate yourself on how you're doing. Identify ways you're doing well, and ways you can improve.

4. Have a resolution buddy. This point is huge. Being accountable to someone, and knowing that that person will be checking in at prearranged times to see how you're doing, is a phenomenally helpful aspect of making successful resolutions.

5. Take your resolution on a test drive. This is my personal favorite. Making a resolution for the coming year can be daunting. So why not start with a New Month Resolution, or even a New Week or New Day Resolution? This is especially helpful if you do not believe you can exercise or study every day for a year, and therefore do not want to set yourself up for failure by commiting to such a goal. So why not just commit to it for a month or week or day? Get a small success behind you, and then try it again for the same amount of time, or maybe take it up a notch if you're building some confidence. You can do it!


So there you go. It's New Year's Day as I write this, and I have my three resolutions all planned out for 2009. I feel good about them, and that makes me feel better about me. That's half the battle right there.

How about you? Ready to take a chance on yourself? Go ahead. Resolve and believe in yourself. You -- more than the economy or anything else -- will determine whether or not 2009 ends up being the best year you've had yet.