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new year resolutions
Make Those Resolutions Stick
Many choose to make new year resolutions, and many have a hard time keeping them. There are few things that contribute to that lack of follow through. Here are a few ways to make those resolutions stick and see it through to the end, or the beginning of a new you!
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the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action.“she has an iron will”
synonyms: determination, willpower, strength of character, resolution, resolve,resoluteness, single-mindedness, purposefulness, drive, commitment,dedication, doggedness, tenacity, tenaciousness, staying power “the will to succeed”-
control deliberately exerted to do something or to restrain one’s own impulses.noun: will power“a stupendous effort of will”
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I am learning that the most important factor to making a change, and making it really count is to have the willpower to start and finish the task! We all want to exercise more, eat less, avoid drugs and alcohol, save for a trip or to buy a home. But it may not always be as easy as we wish. Thats because we all need to have the self-control to make that follow through happen. According to the American Psychological Association, willpower is the number one thing to derail keeping those resolutions.
How can we improve the chances of keeping our resolutions? Lets start by looking at how we can resolve to follow through. I think you first have to have an attainable and clearly set goal. You have to have deep motivation to reach that goal. Then you need to look at what habits you have that might derail you attaining that goal. How do you really feel about the goal you have set? How much do you want it? These factors will all make achieving your goal, combined with that sheer willpower and self-control.
So much easier said than done right? I know for me that if you don’t keep those long term goals in focus, you can let short term temptations derail things. You have to be able to resist temptations, impulsivity and keep things in check. The gratification you get from short term behavior do not outlast the gratification of attaining that long term goal. remember that! You have to keep a mindful focus on what you REALLY want, not what seems good at the moment. It takes practice, and persistence. I also think that it takes patience and forgiveness. If you make a mistake, fall short of a goal, or get off track…pick yourself up, shake it off and refocus. NO ONE is perfect, and EVERY person struggled at some point in life. They met defeat, frustration and temptation. They also probably met people along their journey that scolded or shamed them for falling short, but they also took that judgement as motivation to see things through to the end. You will also meet people who support you, encourage you and believe in you. Cherish them, show them gratitude, and listen and learn from them. It will take hard work to attain a goal and maintain it. Keep your emotions in check and maintain behaviors you feel are moving you towards your goal. That is the self control and willpower that will get you to the end.
You can’t change what’s going on around you, until you change what’s going on inside you. As Winston Churchill once said:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Now exercise that stupendous effort of will, and make those resolutions stick!
Posted in Health & Wellness | January 2 nd , 2016 | 0 Comments