The New Year is, of course, the time when many people make life-changing New Year’s Resolutions. The easy part is making the resolution; more difficult is keeping them.
 

For many, the pitfalls of making resolutions is that they tend to be unrealistic, and therefore, doomed to fail. According to the experts, the key to making and keeping resolutions is confidence that you can succeed at changing your behavior. So, before you make your resolutions, take a big dose of reality and remember, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Decide on one major goal and concentrate on it. Attempting to keep several resolutions simultaneously all but guarantees failure.

Whatever your goal, make it attainable. Some recommend using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, and Timely) approach. For example, if you want to lose weight, instead of “I want to lose 30 pounds in a month,” a more realistic goal is “I want to lose 30 pounds by losing 1-2 pounds per week by exercising and eating a healthy and balanced diet.” This goal is specific and attainable, and outlines how you will achieve the goal.

Once you make your resolution and commit to keeping it, tell your friends, family and fellow fire fighters at the firehouse about your new resolution. The more people you tell, the more encouragement and incentive you’ll have to reach your goal.

It’s important to track your progress and note each small step towards reaching your larger goal. Reward yourself along the way by treating yourself to something you enjoy. Equally important, don’t beat yourself up if there is an occasional slip. Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up. It takes approximately 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and six months for it to become part of your daily reality.

If you find yourself falling short of your goal – in one month or six months – don’t despair. There’s no reason you can’t make a “New Year’s Resolution” any time of the year.