Keeping Your New Years Resolutions?

The first quarter of 2007 is over. If you're still keeping to your new year's resolutions, then congratulations! Chances are, if you have kept them going for three months, you will incorporate them into your lifestyle on a permanent basis.

If you're like most people, however, you probably stopped keeping your resolutions in the middle of January, and you may not even remember what they were. I always notice that my health club is extremely crowded during the first few weeks of January, and then it tapers off to where it usually is by Valentine's Day. Exercise and eating-related resolutions are the most common, and usually the most challenging to stick to. How often do you hear someone say, "I made a new year's resolution to exercise back in 1998, and ever since then, I've been going to the gym 4-5 times per week!" It's rare.

The spring is the perfect time to jump-start your new year's resolutions, or even to create new ones. In order to be successful, it's important to figure out why you couldn't stick to them in the first place. Here are some common reasons why most people do not keep their resolutions, and what you can do to avoid these pitfalls.

Too Many Resolutions
When you create too many resolutions, it's unrealistic to expect that you are going to make so many changes at once. Figure out which resolutions are most important to you and focus on those-- no more than three, and even three is pushing it. Once you've successfully incorporated these resolutions into your life, then you can tackle others on that longer list.

When you focus your efforts on fewer top-priority resolutions, you aren't distracted by goals that aren't as important to you. Additionally, you won't feel overwhelmed and pressured to make so many changes in your life.