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The Resolution Solution:
Five Steps to Turning New Years' Resolutions Into Results
By TIFFANY HALL

The New Year signifies a time of new opportunities. It is the starting point for new beginnings and a chance to shed old skin. This old skin could be a dead-end job, a toxic relationship, or emotional baggage that has been left over from previous years. Many of us make yearly pledges to eat healthier, to finally get to the gym, or to get our businesses up and running. These goals remain short-lived as the New Years' holiday comes and goes, and then we soon realize that our New Years' resolutions are nothing but just that – resolutions.

What many of us do not realize is that a resolution is just a fancy name for a goal, and you do not have to wait until the New Year to make one. Making the resolution is the first and easiest stop. Putting it into action is often overlooked due to procrastination. However, there are ways to avoid falling into the unfulfilled New Years' resolution trap.

•  Make a goal that is feasible
Failed New Years' resolutions usually are not the result of lack of desire. Sometimes we are simply living beyond our limits. While wanting to accumulate $50,000 in savings by next January seems like a great goal, it is not necessarily easy to attain. Having such grandiose expectations can create a more difficult situation than you began with. As you push yourself to achieve such goals, you risk expending more resources than you actually have. If you find yourself in this situation, try and reassess your goal. Perhaps it was never quite that realistic to begin with.

•  Do not let the past dictate the future
One of my friends revealed to me that she wanted to start dating better men, but felt that her history of failed relationships made it almost impossible.

“I want to be able to let down my emotional walls, but I am afraid that once I do, I'll only end up being hurt again”.

Often, our plans for our future are affected by the experiences in our past. Many of us believe that we will be stuck in the same negative pattern. What is important is to remember that we cannot judge our future based on our past. Our lives are constantly changing and we must be able to plan for whatever twists lay ahead. If we are still thinking about yesterday, how can we think about tomorrow?

•  Take things one day at a time
It is easy to get frustrated and give up when things are not unfolding as quickly as we would like. But as we all know, God surely did not create the world in a day, so how can we expect our lives to change in the same duration of time? Patience is important in attaining goals. Taking a goal from an idea to action takes time, energy, and dedication. If we hurry the natural process of achieving our goals, the results may not be satisfying.

•  Measure your progress in each stage
Sometimes the fruits of our labor are not as apparent when we are in the beginning stages of a project. Do not panic if it is March and you still have not lost the twenty pounds you would vow to lose. Instead, take notice of the progress you have made. Think of where you were when you began working on your goal. Chances are that you have achieved more than you even realized.

•  Do not stress about things for which you have no control
I often fret that I will make one bad decision and it will create a Domino effect of unfortunate events and my life will be ruined. However, nine times out of ten, the things that I worry about happening never actually happen. As women, are brains are wired to expect the worst, and often this keeps us from achieving the goals that we set for ourselves. This fear is what prevents our goals from becoming actions. Instead of worrying about the worst that can happen, concentrate on what you can do make sure the outcome of your goal is positive. If you are heavily in financial debt, focus on creating a budget that will minimize your spending instead of stressing yourself about paying off all your debts at once.

You have an entire year to put your New Years' resolution into action, but do not wait until mid-year to decide that you are finally going to renovate the house. Once January 1 st hits, start putting your New Years' Resolution into action. Instead of putting off renovating the house, try calling contractors to get estimates. It is only a small step, but each small step you take will bring you a step closer to turning your New Years' resolution into results.