Each year, we ring in the New Year by making a resolution (or two or three). And every year, many of these resolutions are broken. Which are the most commonly-broken New Year's resolutions? And how can you take one on and make it work?
1. Becoming an organization queen or king. You'd be surprised how many people resolve to conquer the clutter during the New Year. But it seems that a lot of people that make this resolution may spend one day trying to get organized and then give up entirely. To make this resolution work for you, set specific goals. Week one, promise to organize the linen closet. Week two, focus on your closet. Week three, attack under your bed, and so on. By breaking this resolution down into manageable tasks, you'll be more likely to stick with it until the end.
2. Spending more time with your family, extended or otherwise. Life can get pretty hectic, and without meaning to, you may have found that you're putting spending time with your family on the backburner. So this tends to be one of the most common resolutions that people make. Unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances and busy schedules, this resolution is often broken before it can even begin. In order to make this resolution work, your whole family must be in on it. Choose one day a week to get together for dinner; if that's difficult to do, choose to get together every other week. Committing to conquer this resolution together will help you and your family be successful.
3. Saving money. Financial goals make up some of the most common resolutions. You want to spend less money, make more money, open a savings account, or something along these lines. You may do well for the first week or even the first month of the year, but then regular life comes along, and it may seem impossible to stick to your financial resolutions. In order to reach your goal, you need to be specific. Instead of saying that you want to save more money, decide exactly how much money you'll put into your savings account each week. This will help your goal seem more attainable.
4. Quitting smoking. Most smokers have made this resolution year after year to no avail. They slip one time and smoke just one cigarette, and then give up. This year, keep in mind that even if you slip, you will not give up. You may find it helpful to quit with someone else. Have a friend or family member that wants to kick the habit? Convince him or her to make the resolution with you. Having a quitting buddy will help you when you're craving nicotine the most.
5. Losing weight. Probably the most popular resolution that's made—and broken—each year has to do with getting in shape and losing weight. People begin the year with hope in their hearts and a shiny new gym membership…and then they lose interest. Or they get the flu. Or they just have a blah day…and all that hard work slips away. This year, don't let your goal of losing weight slip away. Write your fitness-related resolution on several index cards and post them where you'll see them every day: in your car, on the fridge, on your mirror, on the ceiling above your bed. If you're constantly reminding yourself of your promise to lose weight and get healthy, you'll have a harder time giving in to the laziness and giving up.
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