This week from The Backbone Institute:
STAYING ON TRACK WITH RESOLUTIONS
By now, many people have forgotten about the New Year’s Resolutions they made several weeks ago. The nagging sense of disappointment that comes with failing to keep them may have set in, too.
“Blue Monday” - the most depressing day of the year. It falls on the third Monday in January each year. It is so named due to lousy weather, high debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our New Year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take action.
If you’re feeling a little down right now, you have a lot of company!
Resolution-making Mistakes
• Trying to change too much at once
• Believing that if you could do less of certain things and more of certain others, your life would be richer, happier, and more satisfying.
• Believing that if you can identify the things you want to change, you will have the ability to change them.
• Forgetting that any change you make will trigger other changes
Diet
• New food in the house
• New food preparation time and routines
• Some days will be boring – Am I going to trade my Big Mac for broccoli?
Workout
• Rearrange daily schedule
• Alter routines
• Having patience to see results
Job
• Disrupted daily routines – new route to work, new sleep schedule, etc.
• New relationships
• Learning curve
The Backbone Institute knows that keeping resolutions is tough! Trying to make a change without planning or reflection simply will not work.
Each week from The Backbone Institute:
CALL UP YOUR CHARACTER
Making a resolution, whether on New Year’s Eve, on the first of the month, to celebrate a birthday, to honor a big event… is about making a promise to yourself. When you break the promise, you disappoint yourself. Don’t do it!
Do this instead.
1. Recognize: Any change will take you off balance.
2. Pick one thing to work on.
3. Set a specific goal and share it with someone.
4. Keep track of your progress – chart, log – noticing it each day will keep you motivated.
5. Don’t over-think it – just do it.
6. Forgive yourself when you lapse.
7. Stick with it for at least three months!
If you make a promise to yourself keep it! Do the work. You will love the way you feel. Let’s carry this feeling throughout the New Year.
Tags: Backbone, new year resolutions, Susan Marshall, The Backbone Institute