NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

SO, WHAT’S YOUR

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION?

                           By NUTAN SEHGAL

It’s a universally accepted fact that most promises to oneself are made to be broken.

Why is it so tough to keep promises that are made and with so much conviction and enthusiasm? The answer is simple. Most of us over resolve. We make promises that are sometimes too tough to achieve.

“ I’ll stop smoking – or drinking. I’ll lose 20 kilos in one year.” That’s a recipe for disaster. Quitting smoking and drinking together and on top of it losing 20 kilos in a year?

Perish the thought. The resolution is likely to be dumped in first week of January! It would be better to have resolved to do something more doable – doing one thing at a time.

Resolutions are made to concentrate upon areas in our lives that need urgent improvement. And yet, how many people actually stick to them?

Even if they are made after a great deal of thought, they are most likely to be broken.

You may feel guilty for sometime but eventually even the guilt fades away.

Every New Year …….. and even on birthday or special occasions – people make a serious resolution to do or not to do something. But even if the resolution is not difficult to stick to, chances are that it will be forgotten in a few days’ time despite all the good intentions while making it.

            FAMILIAR RESOLUTIONS:

           

            ! I will quit smoking.

            ! I will give up booze.

            ! I will lose weight.

            ! I will join a gym.

            ! I will study harder.

            ! I will spend more time with the family.

            ! I will go slow on impulsive shopping.

            ! I will not lose my temper.

          !   I will become more sociable.

          !   I will find a better job/make more money.

WAYS TO REACH YOUR GOAL.

          Remember: as a toddler when you started walking you kept falling down. Soon you learnt to stand up and start again. Gradually walking became an ingrained movement in you. So, start by taking those baby stepsh  That’s the only way you will reach your goal.

          

          Otherwise, you will be like the guy who wrote the following in his diary on New  Year eve……..”Cigarettes….New Record. I resolved to kick the habit at 11.58 pm. I managed to break the resolution in five minutes. I lit one at 12.03 a.m. Happy New Year.”

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT?

Why? The simplest reason for this is that resolutions mean behavioural changes and most people resist change, particularly when it involves a set pattern or habit, It is so much easier to go along with the flow and continue doing whatever one is doing.

            Psychologists say the following are some of the common reasons for breaking a resolutions ………….

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            ! Lack of motivation

            ! Loss of commitment

            ! Habit is too ingrained.

            ! If you give up once, you give up forever.

            ! Resolutions are not realistic or achievable.

            ! You make too many resolutions at one time.

            ! Lack of will power

            ! The subconscious looks for instant gratification.

            ! The ‘now’ is more important and relevant than the future.

            ! Is there a way to stick to the resolutions?

            ! Yes, there are several ways, say experts.

            ! But keep in mind the following things………..

·        Keep small goals which are reachable and doable

·        If you can’t give up smoking  or booze keep trying to restrict their intake

·        If you want to lose weight, eat healthy for at least one meal at a day

·        Can’t work out daily? Start a weekly regimen and increase gradually

·        If you make a mistake, don’t give up, forgive yourself and carry on.

·        Keep reminding yourself why the resolution is good for you

·        Reward yourself weekly for sticking to a resolution.

Source: The Tribune December 31, 2011