10 New Years Resolutions You Will Actually Keep

And the race is on….the countdown has started…only a couple more days left in 2015 and my Facebook feed is blowing up with people stating their resolutions (because, you know, if you say it on Facebook, it must be true).

I’m getting email after email reminding me that it’s not too late to set my 2016 goals – more money, less weight, better jobs…

And I wonder if you too are feeling the pressure…that burning this time of year that makes you feel like nothing is impossible.  That this is the year…the year you finally lose those 10 pounds.  The year you drop that bad friend.  The year you finally save enough money to pay off those credit cards.

And let me tell you my friend…don’t lose that fire.  Don’t lose that spark that incites you to do more, be more, become a better version of you.

But at the same time, don’t think this year will much different than the last…or the one before that…or the one before that.

This whole New Year resolutions thing has been going on for many years…roots of them date back as far as Babylonian times.

I’m betting that the failure rate was roughly as high then as it is now.

And really, “failure” isn’t an accurate word.  Because I think the real problem we run into when setting New Years resolutions is having our head in the clouds.  We aren’t realistic.   Or perhaps worse, we aren’t specific.  Vague goals don’t mean anything to us. Without concrete steps to follow, failure becomes all too easy.

So I hope you will join me this year as I set these 10 New Years Resolutions You Can Actually Keep.  

New Years Resolutions You Will Actually Keep PRINTABLE

 

The key is a “Do This, Not That” approach…

1. INSTEAD of “Lose 10 Pounds” COMMIT to “Weigh Myself Once A Week.”  Studies show that regularly weighing yourself does the most good in terms of actually keeping weight off.  Because you are able to catch subtle increases, you can adjust your diet immediately.

2. INSTEAD of “Show My Husband Him I Love Him More Often” COMMIT to “Schedule A Date Night Once A Month.”  Having a concrete once/a month date is not only doable but specific enough you can schedule it.

Read more here about how keeping your marriage in focus after kids

3. INSTEAD of “Pay Off My Car” COMMIT to “Set Up An Automatic Transfer To Savings With Each Paycheck.” Even if it’s just $25/paycheck, every little bit counts.  And the more you see your savings go up, the more encouraged you will be to save more!

4. INSTEAD of “Don’t Use My Cellphone In the Evenings With The Kids” COMMIT to “Put My Phone Down For 1 Hour A Night And Just BE With My Family.” Our world is, for better or worse, full of technology.  Saying you won’t use your phone at all sets you up for failure in the long run.  But giving it up for one hour a night…yes, you can do that!

READ MORE HERE UNPLUGGING IN A PLUGGED IN WORLD

5. INSTEAD of “Be More Involved At Church” COMMIT to “Make It To Church At Leaset 2 Sundays a Month.”

6. INSTEAD of “Exercise 5 Times A Week” COMMIT To “Get Up And Walk For 10 Minutes A Day Twice a Day.” Sometimes life gets in the way but the healthier I am, the better I feel and thus, the better mom I can be.  If both my kids are sick and the gym is out for a week, even I can commit to 20 minutes a day of the most basic exercise.

7. INSTEAD of “See My Friends More Often” COMMIT to “Choose One Friend A Month To Have A Pedicure With.” And come on, who couldn’t use a pedicure!

8. INSTEAD of “Don’t Yell When Angry” COMMIT to “Take 3 Deep Breaths Before Going Into A Situation Angry.”  I really try to not yell, but sometimes a situation gets the best of me and I do it.  So to say I won’t yell for an entire year is really a no-go for me (despite my best intentions).  

But if you tell yourself that before going in a situation with a hot head, you will take 3 deep breaths and really assess your own behavior, I’m thinking you might actually not yell.  Go figure!

9. INSTEAD of “Volunteer More” COMMIT to “Help Out In Child’s Classroom Once A Week.” 

READ MORE HERE ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION FROM HOME

 

10. INSTEAD of “Eat Healthier” COMMIT to “Choose One Meal A Day That’s Healthy.”  If it’s a protein bar at breakfast or adding a salad to your dinner, every healthy choice makes a positive impact.  You don’t have to commit to some crazy No Carb diet to be healthier this year.

Don’t forget to download this FREE PRINTABLE!  Let 2016 be the year you make resolutions you can actually keep!