Submitted by News Canada
(NC) The start of a new year brings together many annual traditions: gathering with friends and family for a year-end party, counting down the clock to midnight and making New Year’s resolutions.
Unfortunately, many of us end up breaking our resolutions within days or weeks of turning the page on a new calendar. Here are four steps to set you on the right path to stick to your resolutions.
Plan ahead
To have success with any life-changing goal, you have to plan for it. While you’re enjoying a celebratory drink at a New Year’s party is not the right time to decide you’re going to have a sober January. You’ll want to stock up on non-alcoholic beverages in advance and, if you’re worried about breaking your fast, you might want to clear out or store away the temptations in your fridge or liquor cabinet.
Be reasonable
If your resolution is to lose weight or exercise more, don’t set a goal that’s overly ambitious. If you do, you’ll quickly get frustrated and give up.
Rather than trying to jog three times a week – when you’ve never been a runner before – commit to going on a long walk every other day. Instead of trying to convert from carnivore to vegan overnight, maybe choose a day or two a week that you only eat vegetarian food. Once you’ve adjusted to your new normal, you can start pushing yourself to the next level.
Make it a group effort
Whatever your goal is, talk about it with your friends and family first. That way you’ll have a support network if you’re tempted to give up, and you might even gain a partner to join you on the journey.
Seek outside support
Sometimes we just can’t do it alone. And that’s fine. Whether your resolutions are health and fitness based or more focused on improving your personal finances or digital literacy, there are mentors and support groups that can help you achieve them. If, for example, you wanted to learn how to use new digital tools at the office or become more tech savvy around the home, non-profit organizations like ABC Life Literacy Canada offer free resources and workshops that cover a wide range of topics.
Learn more about improving your digital literacy at abcconnectforlearning.ca.
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