How to Get Your New Year's Resolutions Back On Track

We’re only halfway through January, but chances are that many of us have already tossed our good-meaning New Year’s Resolutions by the wayside. Our holiday vacations come to an end, we get back to the real world, and suddenly those plans don’t seem as feasible as they did in the champagne-soaked early hours of the New Year. But don’t give up on them just yet – you made those resolutions for a reason, so here are some ways to reassess your goals and your plan of attack to find success in 2013.

Remember why you set them. You didn’t vow to exercise more regularly or quit smoking cigarettes out of boredom – you did it because you know it will provide great physical, mental, and financial rewards. Write down what you will gain by sticking to your guns, whether it be a better body image, more self-esteem, or a few extra bucks in your wallet at the end of the week. 

Discover what is holding you back. You made it to the gym five times the first week of the year and you felt great, but then work piled up and you were too tired to workout after a day at the office. Instead of giving up your goal, reassess your approach –wake up an hour early and go to the gym in the morning instead. You might have to make some adjustments to your life to fit your goals into it. 

Ensure that what you want is realistic. If you vowed to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month, you may be disheartened to see that you’ve only lost three at the halfway point. If you tell yourself you’ll never reach your goal, you are discounting the great progress you have made so far. Instead, make a feasible plan based on your current accomplishments – plan to continue to lose three pounds every two weeks. It may take you a little longer to reach your final destination, but you will get there. 

Celebrate your successes. New Year’s Resolutions are not meant to induce guilt; they are to help you lead a more fulfilling life. Be sure to take the time to reward yourself for staying the course – treat yourself to a manicure after you finally clean out the basement, or get a massage when you complete your first six-mile run. Having something to look forward to will help you focus day-to-day. And be sure to embrace the joy that comes with accomplishing a goal. 

–Lindsay Putnam