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Issue Date: December 23, 2007
Making New Year's
resolutions stick
1. Attach the resolution to a higher purpose, something positive. If you want to lose weight or quit smoking, relate it to wanting to be there to see your children grow up. Want to be more fit? Train to finish a certain athletic event.
2. Be realistic. "You have to make your resolutions achievable," says financial guru Jonathan D. Pond, whose latest book is Grow Your Money! "If your resolution is to boost your 401(k), start with 2%. You can always go back and say 5% or 7%. But it's a psychological bummer to become discouraged."
3. Picture it. "Close your eyes and visualize the accomplishment," says executive coach Scott Ventrella, author of Me, Inc.: How to Master the Business of Being You. "Athletes do it all the time. Create that picture and you'll be much more likely to achieve it."
4. Don't go it alone. "Ask for help, especially with the tougher things," Ventrella says. "But also, put yourself on the hook. Let other people know you've made this commitment. Make it public. You don't want to let people down, and you don't want to embarrass yourself."
5. Give it 30 days. "Whether it's trying to remove a bad habit or do something good, do it for 30 days," Ventrella says. "That's the magical number it takes to change a habit or a behavior. By doing something repeatedly, you're programming your brain." -- Kelly DiNardo |
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