What's your resolution?

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas.   While we've missed Sam's family and my older brother and his family who are all in Arizona, it has been so nice to have my parents and younger brother here with us.  We spent hours playing games, saw a wonderful production of A Christmas Carol at the Hanover Theater, and I especially enjoyed my mom helping out in the kitchen!  Sad to see them leave today but so thankful for the time we had with them.

*************************************************************
Do you make New Year's goals?  Probably.  Most everybody does.  The real question is do you keep your New Year's goals?  Probably not.  Most everybody doesn't.  So if you find yourself once again feeling bad that you haven't kept up on your goals, I found some great words of advice for you!

"Don’t feel bad! Many people have trouble sticking to their resolutions, and there is a simple scientific explanation for this. In 1987, a team of psychologists conducted a study in which they monitored the New Year’s resolutions of 275 people. After one week, the psychologists found that 92 percent of the people were keeping their resolutions; after two weeks, we have no idea what happened, because the psychologists had quit monitoring.

“We just lost our motivation,” they reported. “Also, we found ourselves eating Twinkies by the case.”

So we see that keeping resolutions can be difficult. But you CAN do it, if you follow these practical tips:

1. BE REALISTIC.

Many people give up because they “set their sights too high.” In making a New Year’s resolution, pick a goal that you can reasonably expect to attain, as we see in these examples:

Unrealistic Goal: “In the next month, I will lose 25 pounds.”

Realistic Goal: “Over the next year, taking it an ounce or two at a time, I will gain 25 pounds, and my face will bloat like a military life raft.”

Unrealistic Goal: “I will learn to speak Chinese.”

Realistic Goal: “I will order some Chinese food.”

2. THINK POSITIVE.

To succeed, you must believe in yourself. Write this motivational statement in large letters on a piece of paper and tape it someplace where you will see it often, such as on the inside of your eyeglasses:

              “I CAN do it, and I WILL do it! Starting next year!”

-Dave Barry, Miami Herald

Nothing like a good laugh to start out the day.  But in all honesty if you are planning on making New Year's resolutions (and I am) then be realistic and think positive.  I also love the saying that a goal not written down is only a wish. So with that in mind I'm sharing these printable lists for you to write your goals on.  And do make sure you put them somewhere you will see them often.  Although I recommend a place like the bathroom mirror, not your glasses.

 Download the PDF