I resolve..... making and keeping those New Year's resolutions.

New Year’s resolutions date back to ancient Babylon and Rome, where promises were made to the gods at the beginning of the new year.  According to Wikipedia, about 40% of adults in the US make New Year’s resolutions each year.   Yet despite the popularity of the practice, 88% of people fail to keep those promises they so confidently make.

Hope springs eternal, I guess – but I gave this some thought this year to try to find a way to pin my goals on more than a wish.  I looked at why our resolve seems to fade over time and what can be done to keep it fresh so that the goals set at the beginning of the year can be reached before the next drop of the crystal ball.

First of all, I found out that there was some logic to the making of resolutions – people who set formal goals are more likely to succeed than those who have vague hopes for improvement.  It’s important to make the goal clear and measurable, so you know you’ve reached it.  I’ll use exercise as an example, since I just started running last year at age 54 (I know – crazy, huh?)

My goal for 2014 is to run at least 500 miles during the year.  That averages out to about 10 miles a week, with two weeks off for vacations, sick time, and “I just don’t feel like it” days.  This is measurable and specific – I will either meet the goal, or not.  Now, how to keep the resolve fresh and make sure that my efforts are consistent throughout the year?  Because, you see, your effortdoes need to be consistent in order to get anywhere.  Here are some other tricks I learned:

- Make sure the goal is realistic and achievable so you don’t set yourself up for failure.  My nieces and nephews (who are considerably younger than I and have been running for years) are setting goals in the thousands of miles.  Good for them, but I don’t have to keep up.  Since I ran about 300 miles this year, 500 is a reasonable goal for me.

-The first month is the most critical; if you make it during the first month you’re more likely to succeed – so keep stoking the motivation engine during January and set a pattern for the months to come.

-Have a plan for reaching your goal so that you don’t wind up spinning your gears on activities that don’t get you anywhere.  It’s best to work the plan into your daily or weekly routine – for example, in the winter I go to the gym on certain days and times and I schedule accordingly so that I don’t feel rushed.  Finding the time to work on your goal – whether it’s cooking special meals, exercising, practicing a skill or working on a project – can be a deal-breaker if you don’t plan ahead.  Don’t wait until you have “spare time” (whatever that is!)

-Set interim goals on a monthly or quarterly basis and measure your progress.  On average, I want to run 10 miles a week to make 500 miles by year-end, so that’s 40-43 miles per month, give or take.  If I find I’m slacking in any given month, this gives me ample opportunity to kick it up a notch before I get seriously behind.  Struggling to catch up is tiring, and discouraging – why put myself through that?

-Because willpower and motivation are forms of mental energy they do get depleted as time goes on.  Celebrating the milestones as you progress toward your goal help keep you on track and motivated to continue.  Similarly, don’t beat yourself up if you slip up.  You are, after all, only human – and you are

- Make it fun: If working toward your goal feels like one big burden, you will be less inclined to stay motivated.  I mix up my running with other types of exercise, run to different music, or do intervals when I’m in the gym; outside, I vary my route to keep it interesting.  Find ways to spice up your routine and it won’t feel so much like work.

-Keep your stress level low, get enough rest, eat properly, and stay hydrated: When you’re tired or stressed, your mental energy is easily exhausted and the first things that go out the window are willpower and resolve.   Remember, you are doing this for you – because you deserve better.  Treat yourself accordingly.

-Anticipate temptations and have a strategy for dealing with them: When I go on vacation, I’m tempted to slack off – lots of eating, and little or no running.  To combat this, I’ve joined a gym that has franchises all over the country, and I’ve made it a point to tell my relatives that I will be running at least 2 days a week over the holidays.  As an added bonus, I get to eat all of those holiday goodies because I’m out there getting all that aerobic exercise!

With proper planning, monitoring, and self-care, you can be one of the 12% that DO keep your New Year’s resolutions!  Any tips you have are welcome – please pass them along in the comments section.