New Year - New Resolutions? Here's how to stick to them!

We've all heard it before (maybe even been a participant) - This year, I am going to (fill in resolution here).  Most people shoot for one of the big 3 - quit smoking, lose weight, get a new job.  But how often does a resolution turn into a reality?  Not often, according to most of the articles I have read on new year resolutions for the last decade.

Why not?  Why are we so excited and committed at the beginning of the year, and then by mid-February, we have every reason (excuse) why we just can't stick to what we set out to do only weeks earlier?

Committing to several new, and often dramatic, lifestlye changes is not easy.  It is a shock to your normal routine, it's a shock to your body and mind as well.

Each year, instead of picking a resolution, I pick a keyword.  I don't expect myself to be perfect, but I do expect myself to commit and improve.  I decide which keyword will be my focus for improvement, and I remind myself of it daily.

Last year, my focus was "balance."  I wanted to learn how to be not only a business owner and coach (which is how I had previously been defined for 6 years) but also a mother.  Instead of telling myself on Jan 1st, "I am going to lose ALL the baby weight, I am going to be the best mother on Earth, and I am going to run a kick-ass company this year" I said, "This year I want to find a balance between the two most important things in my life.  My family, and my business."

And you know what?  I did.  It took 8 months, but I did it.

It wasn't another rule I put on myself that I would later have to rebel against.  It wasn't mandated.  It was merely a choice I made to be present at home, and present at work.  It was something I had to practice daily, I had to revise my schedule and do my best to be there for everyone.  But I also had to learn to say NO sometimes, and not overcommit if I couldn't deliver.

When you are setting goals this year, I would encourage you to pick a keyword or a theme, and give yourself time and space to improve little by little.  Progress motivates, and it is easier to stick with something if you have room to breathe.

This year, my keyword is "boundaries."  I will practice setting clear boundaries with my clients, business partners, employees, friends and family.  And, while it's a work in progress, I can bet I won't have given up on it by February!