You know the annual routine. During the first week in January, you head to the gym and can’t find a parking spot. By the time March comes roaring in, the lot is empty. That gives you an idea of how many people make resolutions that don’t hold. So if you’re determined to keep your promises in 2010, read on for tips to make them stick.

First, why do we make resolutions to begin with? According to Elizabeth R. Lombardo, Ph.D., M.S., P.T, Psychologist & Physical Therapist, the answer is simple. “We all have parts of our lives that we want to change,” she says.  “We are given permission, even encouraged, at this time of year to identify those goals and pursue them.”

Yet our resolve quickly wavers and we seem to give in without realizing how change might be incorporated into our daily lives. “We tend to be an all-or-nothing society. Rather than ‘I will work out 30 minutes three times/week’, people decide ‘I will work out everyday,’” Lombardo mentions.

Sound familiar? Think about why past resolutions haven’t worked for you. Laura Berman Fortgang, author of “The Little Book On Meaning” has some advice. “The odds are that something’s got to go if you’re really serious about achieving a new goal,” she mentions. “You may be trying to change a bad habit or a certain behavior, like smoking or overeating, by developing more self-discipline.  Why not do the real work by looking within yourself to understand how you got there in the first place?”

And don’t forget to support yourself in the new venture. Fortgang says, “You may be adding a resolution into your mix without coming up with a master plan and schedule to make it a part of your life.  Put a system in place that’ll support the change by giving you the structure you need.”

Lombardo adds, “Identify why you want this resolution. Write it down and read it over every day. Get rid of all-or-nothing mentality. If you slip up once that does not mean you failed completely. Address your stress – stress increases the likelihood that we will return to habits we are trying to break.”

So think about how to implement your resolutions on a daily basis, and over time, you might just achieve that change in 2010.

Jennifer Taylor lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and Burmese cat. Her website is www.jrtaylorweb.com
Photo Credit © Lynnette Peizer | Dreamstime.com

Tags: 2010, New Years, New Years Resolutions