A chance to start over

The New Year - 2018 - arrives this week. And with it, people all over the world look for a “reboot,” if you will, a chance to start over.

New Year’s Resolutions are a time-honored tradition. People use the start of a new year to look for ways to better some aspect of their lives.

According to a recent poll, the most common resolution people make is to exercise more. That is followed by lose weight and eat more “healthily,” and take a more active approach to health. Those four resolutions often go hand in hand. Businesses recognize this as well. Now is the time you see health clubs and diet companies doing most of their advertising, trying to get the attention of people who are serious about changing their eating and exercise habits and get them to use their services.

Other top resolutions relate more to mental health - learning a new hobby or skill, pay more attention to personal wellbeing, spend more time with family and friends are among these. Also included on the list are stopping smoking and drink less alcohol.

While making New Year’s Resolutions is a tradition, another tradition is breaking New Year’s Resolutions. Another poll asked 2,000 people who said they were making New Year’s Resolutions how confident they were that they would be able to keep them. Fewer than half said that they were confident. One way to help keep a resolution is to make sure to set smaller, more realistic goals. Keep them specific and attainable. Instead of saying “I’m going to lose weight,” set a specific goal in mind. “I’m going to lose 30 pounds,” for example. By setting an identifiable, specific goal, one has a target that is easily identifiable and one is more likely to work toward reaching that goal. Being able to measure your progress provides a great incentive.

A financial goal also helps if you choose a specific target. Instead of saying I’m going to save money, instead say “I’m going to put money aside for a family vacation.” Again, setting the goal and setting an amount gives you not only a way to measure your progress, but a reward at the end of the process.

Happy New Year, everyone, and we wish you well in keeping your resolutions.