Resolutions You Can Keep Year-Round

Trends in New Year’s Resolutions
The popularity of certain types of New Year’s resolutions changes from year to year, often in reflection of how the economy or other events have affected people’s concerns about their personal lives. Every year myGoals.com, an online service that helps people accomplish their goals, predicts the types of resolutions people will make during the coming New Year season. Here is their breakdown of people’s resolutions for the past three years and their projections for 2005:

“People finally appear to be much less worried about their jobs,” said Greg Helmstetter, CEO of myGoals.com. “In a typical year, only about 10 percent of resolutions are career-related. That number nearly tripled in 2003 to 27 percent, but the past two years have shown a consistent trend, returning things back to normal. We expect only 13 percent of 2005 New Year's resolutions to be career-related. To the extent that resolutions reflect what people are focused on for the coming year, this is a very encouraging sign that people are optimistic about their economic security.”

The Top 10 List
Resolutions are, of course, a very personal thing. But, over the years, these 10 resolutions have remained the most popular. Do any of them sound familiar to you?

• Spend more time with friends and family. Polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers and others show that more than half of all Americans surveyed vowed to better appreciate their loved ones and spend more time with them.
• Fitness. Everyone knows the benefits of fitness, which usually means exercising regularly. And most people include in their resolution the concept of starting an exercise program or continuing their current exercise regimen.
• Lose weight. More than half of Americans are overweight, so it’s no surprise this resolution is at the top of many people’s lists. Setting goals and staying focused are integral parts of achieving this resolution.
• Stop smoking. Studies show it takes smokers, on average, four tries to effectively quit smoking. If you don’t succeed the first time, try again.
• Enjoy life more. Many people want to get off the day-to-day treadmill and stop and enjoy the journey a little more.
• Give up drinking. For many heavy drinkers, that’s easier said than done. Instead of quitting cold turkey, it may be more effective to taper off gradually or moderate your drinking. There are a variety of support groups to help you cut down or stop drinking.
• Pay off debt. If money was a big source of stress for you last year, consider joining millions of Americans who have promised to get a handle on their finances in 2005.
• Learn something new. Never stop learning or growing. You could consider a career change, learn a foreign language, acquire computer skills, try a new hobby or do anything that expands your life experiences.
• Help your fellow humans. Here’s a New Year’s resolution that isn’t about you. Volunteer in your community doing something to help someone else. You could start a story hour at your local library, mentor a child or even build houses for the elderly. There are many nonprofit organizations that could really use your help.

Make Effective Resolutions You Can Keep
How many years have you tossed out some basic New Year’s resolutions (lose weight, learn a new hobby, spend more time with your family) and then never really achieved them? For most people, the answer is probably every year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By putting some thought and effort into a New Year’s resolution, you can achieve your goal and feel good about it. Here are some ways to do that:

• Create a realistic plan. You can’t set a goal without figuring out how you’re going to get there. Create a clear plan with logical steps that tell you what to do now and what to do next. Don’t try to achieve too much; you’ll only be setting yourself up for frustration that might make you abandon your plan. Remember, consistent small steps will get you there.
• Create your plan immediately. Do it now! You won’t have much time in January to accomplish this, so don’t wait.
• Put it in writing. A plan in writing is much more effective than some vague thoughts in your head. Write your plan down and put it in a prominent place to keep you motivated. Check out the handy Socrates New Year’s Resolution Form to help you keep track of your resolutions.
• Think year-round. Don’t just concentrate on New Year’s. New Year’s Day should be the starting point on a road that will have a hundred steps. Keep revisiting your plan and see if you’re sticking to it.
• Stay flexible. You can’t predict what will happen in the coming year. Be aware that things outside your control can impact even the best plans. Be flexible and change your plan as events dictate. Reward yourself for partial success along the way.
• Talk about your resolutions. It’s easier to keep a resolution if you share it with family and friends. Don’t keep your plans secret.
• Don’t beat yourself up. Everyone is going to have an occasional slip. Don’t concentrate on what you did wrong. Get past it, and move on.
• Stick to your plan. Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit and six months to become a major part of your lifestyle. Don’t give up if you feel as if you’re still struggling to stick with your plan. You can do it!

Socrates New Year’s Resolution Form
To help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions this year, we created a Microsoft Word document that you can download and use to create your plan of action— and put it in writing. Simply fill out the form for each of your goals, either by typing directly in the document or by printing it out and filling in the information by hand. (If you'd like to further modify the form to fit your specific needs, simply go to the Tools menu and click Unprotect Document.) Download the Socrates New Year’s Resolution Form now!

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