Guest Author - Jeanette Norman

This article was written by Jeanette Norman:


Every year, millions of us do it. Set a New Year’s Resolution. “I will lose 50 pounds this year.” “I will eat better this year.” “I will exercise more this year.” “I will quit smoking this year.”

You want to know what my resolution is this year and has been for about 7 years now? I will be a better person this year. Yes, vague I know. But I will not let myself down if I set such a broad goal for myself. Then at the end of the year, I can look back and see what I did to make myself a better person. But if you feel that you must set a specific goal for the year, be realistic. If you set your goal to high, you won’t stick with it or you will feel that you let yourself down. Instead of saying “I will lose 50 pounds this year”, try “I will lose 5 pounds a month.” Now 5 pounds a month may not sound like much but 5 times 12 is 60, so isn’t that better??

Decide what your resolution will be ahead of time and make a plan. Sit down and write what you will need to do to achieve your goal. How will you deal with temptation? What will you do if you faulter instead of giving up? Make a list of why you want to make this resolution to yourself. Keep this list where you can see it. Also keep track of your progress through journaling, mark important feats on a personal calendar, etc.

If you do feel as though you slid of your path, don’t obsess about it and beat yourself up. Pick up where you left off and climb back on! Obsessing about it will only make you fall farther behind. One important thing to remember that I think a lot of people forget about is be patient! Just because you don’t see immediate results, doesn’t mean what you are doing isn’t working. If you chose the diet route, your body may need time to adjust the metabolism rate. If you chose to exercise more, maybe you need a different program for yourself. There are so many exercise routines out there, it may take awhile to find one just right for your body.

And my last suggestion is use the buddy system! Find out if you have a friend who has the same goal as you and work together. There are a lot of health clubs that will give a buddy discount and you can go together. Tell your husband/wife what your goal is and ask for their support and not criticism if you faulter. I will be setting up a thread in the discussion forum for support from people on the same goal paths. Let us know what your resolution is and check in once in awhile to let us know how you are doing.

I hope you all have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!