How to Keep New Year's Resolutions

Do I usually keep my resolutions?

No, I do not.  Do you?

I fall into that number of people who may be aiming too high or being too hard upon self.  It is a great time to think about the ideas for change, yes, starting the New Year, but did I motivate myself negatively in the past?  Was I aiming too high and setting unrealistic expectations?

According Amy Cuddy, a Harvard Business School instructor and social psychologist:

Velvet really wants to greet you a Happy 2015!

I got overwhelmed by my goals in the past and then later felt they were achievable, especially when I planned something big--I would always wake up at five a.m., I would only eat organic food, and I would pass my Certified Critical Registered Nursing exam within three months (CCRN).  The problems were, I did not break down the tasks into smaller goals or approach my goals slowly, so I failed within a week.  I kept pressing that snooze button, I studied for two days and then forgot about it, and the all-organic food, forget it.  I could not afford it.  Besides, although I tried to grow my own vegetables and fruits, I did not have time or enough resources to grow sufficient amounts of food for family consumption.  My goals were simply unrealistic. 

This year, when setting my  New Year's resolution, I think about breaking my goals into smaller goals.  Having mini goals will make the tasks more manageable.  I hope, I will progress forward (towards the ultimate goals) and encourage myself in the process as I will feel accomplished with smaller goals.  This brings me back to my big New Year’s Resolutions.

• Get organized.  I will approach this week by week with the help of the book One Year to an Organized Life.

• Get more exercise, say, 10,000 steps, at least, four times a week. I already set up daily reminders to meet this goal.  Beginning last December, I already meet over 10,000 steps per shift and I work three days a week, so I just need to do one more.  Sounds easy, right?

• Study for and pass CCRN exam.  I will approach this a week at a time.  I put a daily reminder on my phone app, Any.do, for this.  My plan is to study at least three times a week.  I normally have four days off in a week, so I can do this, right?

• Take care of myself regardless of what my teens decide to do or do not do for the day, or week, or month.  My teen daughter ran away for the sixth time in history yesterday.  I know, what happened to “Happy New Year, mom.”  I searched for her, called some people, and reported her as a runaway.  She is not back yet but my life must go on.  On a normal day, I would spend the day crying and looking for her like crazy.  Yesterday, I spent one hour with the search, and then I ate out, spent time with pet dogs, and watched a movie at night from my laptop.  I have to get my mind off her somehow.  I have to stay strong and be there when she comes back.

My start of the year already have obstacles but I will strive to think positively, work with mini goals, and not set myself up for failure. I can do it.

Do you have resolutions for 2015? 

Let us work together.