Starting out fresh in the new year has appeal, especially after a hectic holiday season.
Many of us talk about making resolutions, some of us do it, and a few of us succeed.
Too often our resolutions yield the same results as our diets, our exercise programs,
and our intent to work less. So what could we dothis new year to make it more likely
our new resolve will yield new returns? Here are a few ideas:

When you resolve to make some changes at the beginning of the year, you are
more likely to get support from the people you live and work with. Why? Because
everybody is thinking about this right now. They are all potential supporters of what
you would like to do, and it is more legitimate to talk about your resolution right now.
Tell them what you want to do; ask them to support you.

to do something important to the life you want. \u201cLite\u201d resolutions can only yield \u201clite\u201d
results. Changing your life through new resolution requires that you give some
thought to what you want to change and why. Ask yourself why this change is
important to you and listen to your answer\u2026Then ask whyt hat answer is important
to you and hear what you have to say about that. These whys can lead you toward
your deeper values, meaning and purpose. If they don't, drop this resolution and
come up with one that does.

momentous terms, but that is exactly what we are doing as we live day to day. So
come up with a resolution that has the potential of changing your life forever. A
resolution to lose the pounds accumulated since Thanksgiving at best will do just
that....And what will you be resolving next year at this time? Resolving to return to
and maintain your weight at the level your doctor recommends has life-long
implications\u2014and is the kind of resolution you ought to consider.

committing to do something you do not want to do, that someone else wants you to do, or that you \u201cshould\u201d want to do. You will likely waste your energy and not likely succeed. What do youwa nt to do? Do that!

committing to fail, but that is just what you are doing when your goal is way beyond your reach. You will end up feeling badly and be less likely to make resolutions and take action in the future.

improve your relationship with a child, or, to spend more time with close friends. Or
to get out to cultural events more often. Or to volunteer in the community. Each of
these resolutions brings you rewards from outside yourself, in addition to the
rewards you experience within yourself.

with your new resolve. When you are regularly making progress, take time to
recognize your success; this will help you do even better. If you are regularly
ignoring your resolution, stop to reconsider how important it is to you. A pattern of
dropping back to old behavior might be saying that you would have been better off
resolving something else\u2026or, that you need to redouble your resolve.

what you resolved to do. Don't make a big celebration of it; just notice that you are
progressing. See your new behaviors as the new norm, rather than the exception to
the rule. Since you want to make this progress part of your long life, keep your
celebrations small and in line with the kind of attention this behavior ought to get if it
were a positive habit.

success\u2014though encouraging\u2014is likely only part of what is needed. We become
who we are by the intentions that we hold for months and years, not just for days
and weeks. Who you are right now is the result of lots of hard work on your part.
The results, the \u201cyou\u201d, may not be quite as wonderful as you would like, but there is
a lot of momentum behind who you are today. Your personal change efforts need to
recognize the time, focus, effort, emotion, thought, and decisions that got you here.
With patience, you can add to who you are--and become even more wonderful!

a bundle of unique talents, foibles, traits, and habits; you will not change who you
are easily. Along the path to your resolution, you will trip or fall; that is part of it. Do
not use your slippage as the excuse to stop. Punishing and blaming yourself
reinforces the notion that you are a "bad person" when really you are more likely a
good, well-intentioned person who is behind on a resolution. Don't use breaking the
resolution once as your excuse to drop it.

life. For example, if you resolve to make room for new activities in your life, they will not happen unless they make it on to your calendar ahead of time. They will simply be crowded out by the rest of your life. If you plan to write or to exercise or to see friends or spend time with your children or your parents, put it on your calendar.