Tips to be successful with New Year’s resolutions

ISHPEMING — There is only five days left until we ring in 2019, which means we are all thinking about what we want to change or accomplish in the new year.

In this week’s ABC 10 feature, Caylee Kirby met with some people to talk about New Year’s Resolutions and how to be successful with them.

Each year, the stress of the holidays end and the stress about New Year’s resolutions begin.

When it comes to creating and successfully maintaining New Year’s resolutions there are some tips to help people stay on track.

” A lot of times people’s new year’s resolutions don’t really turn out because they’re not actually things that they really do want, or they’re things they want, but for the wrong reasons” said GLRC Therapist, Paul Olson.

According to Forbes, only eight to 10 percent of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions.

Olson says, “A New Year’s resolutions will not work because a person is not really resolving to do something they actually want to do”.

It’s important that, whatever your New Year’s resolution is, that it’s something that you do really want to do.

For example, instead of writing exercise down as your new year’s resolution, you could write down engage in types of physical activity that you find fun. Walking, hiking, or swimming could all count as exercise.

Paul Olson, finds it more helpful to follow through on a New Year’s resolution, if people think of it in terms of a goal.

“Now, when we think of goals and when we’re trying to set up goals with clients, a lot of times we think in terms of S.M.A.R.T. goals which stand for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time limited” said Olson.

There are many reasons why it is hard to stick to a resolution.

S.M.A.R.T. goals gives people the ability to focus on a goal and make it something that’s specific.

“This is another reason why new year’s resolutions often times fail is because a person isn’t specific about what it is that they’re really trying to do” said the therapist.

When it comes to resolutions, losing weight or exercising more falls in one of the top 5 common New Year’s Resolutions.

“It does take 21 days to form a new habit, so, the biggest thing is just sticking with it. It takes 6 months or more to actually make something become part of your lifestyle” said Anytime Fitness Coach, Tonya Allen.

Some tips in relation to exercise are telling your family and friends about your goals so they can push you or finding a workout buddy.

“Another thing that I like to tell people is focus on non–scale successes, meaning don’t constantly go by that number on the scale; go by how are your clothes fitting, you’re noticing you have more energy, you’re noticing a little bit of muscle tone, your rings on your fingers are looser” said Allen.

Lastly, when we go to sit down and write down these resolutions, always remember…

“It’s not a punishment. It’s something that you do for yourself because it makes you feel better” reminded GLRC Therapist, Paul Olson.