It’s Not Too Late to still Keep 2014 Resolutions

Resolutions. Remember those? Well let me tell you a little secret … I still have items unchecked on my list. Yes I am guilty. However, I am maintaining the attitude that it’s not too late to still keep 2014 Resolutions.

I am on track on some of my goals for this year however one of my biggest setbacks is on my health and fitness. My pain point are the stubborn extra pounds I picked up these past few weeks. It became quite obvious when I tried to squeeze into one of my favorite wool sheath dresses – the kind that is just right for our rainy cold weather. As I attempted to zip myself into the dress, I could feel the resistance. If the dress could speak it will whisper breathlessly “mayday mayday, unzip immediately!”. Thankfully I have some more forgiving dress options that saved the day.

So here I am, past Thanksgiving with barely 29 days to go and some unfinished resolution business. If you are like me then you know it can be overwhelming to attempt cramming goals that were planned for a year into a few days but I have a little plan and together we can work our way toward making good on the most important commitment(s) we made to ourselves at the beginning of the year.

Four Resolution Tips

1. Revisit and rewrite your resolutions following these simple guidelines:
   • If you have more than 2 items on your list, I suggest you consolidate the list and reduce it to 2. For example, if you had $100 credit cards and you had 3 separate goals to pay off each of them, you can instead have a goal to raise $300 by the end of the year. Once you meet that goal, you can use it to pay off your 3 credit cards.
   • Only include items that are specific, measurable and that you strongly desire to accomplish or improve.
2. Identify actions you need to take consistently (one per goal) each day that will most likely get you to your goal.
3. Set a reward for your success.
4. Write down your commitment as a promise. For example if you had a goal to save $300 by the end of the year and a goal to lose 5lbs by the end of the year, you can write your daily commitment as follows: “By December 31st 2014, I would have accumulated $300 in my savings. I will also be healthier and 5lbs lighter. I believe that I will accomplish my goals by committing to reading my goals out loud every morning and taking conscious action daily that will take me to my goal. I will reward my success by …”

Now that we have a plan, let’s bury the excuses in our closets and embrace action instead. Together we will make good on at least one major commitment we made ourselves before the year runs out. The ball is in our court.