A Recipe for Successful New Year Resolutions

Quote: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

~William James

Affirmation: I will embrace my challenges as if they are a fun game and win.

Are you making New Year Resolutions that take too big a bite out of life to chew?

By focusing on a New Year resolution that is realistic you have a better chance for success.  Success reduces stress.

Choose to set yourself up for success in the New Year rather than failure, which adds to stress.

According to statistics, one of the most frequently implemented New Year’s Resolution deals with diet and weight.

Diet and weight are an important part of our physical and mental health. It is as simple as realizing that when we look great we feel good. When our favorite jeans fit, we are happy. Resolving to make that happen is healthy.

Let’s start by taking small bites, no pun intended.

Rather than starting your New Year Resolution by saying you are going to lose a large amount of weight by this time next year, break the resolution down into workable parts. Choose a realistic amount of weight loss, or gain, that you will monitor weekly. Now you are working with yourself rather than against yourself by implementing a realistic and achievable goal that will display positive results on a chart.

Evaluation and accountability are very important in the success of a New Year Resolution.

Often the most difficult parts of a New Year Resolution is stating it in a way that is precise, measurable and can focus on success. This is called a behavioral objective which is a defined description of an expected experience. Behavioral objectives that are people oriented place the emphasis upon what the person is expected to do within a designated time period with testable measurements for evaluation, and accountability for optimum success.

The biggest challenges to New Year resolutions is accountability and evaluation. Make them fun!

The key to solving the accountability and evaluation issues is to develop a clear, concise objective that you can also turn into a fun game. Below is an example of a very simple precise and measurable New Year resolution that focuses on weight loss. The behavioral objective below has five parts; 1.) The defined time and weight, 2.) What amount of weight that will be lost, 3.) How it will be measured, 4.) How the weight loss will be obtained, 5.) The end result and time.

Starting today, November 20th, 2015, over the next 12 months, I will lose 30 pounds of weight. My weight loss will be measured weekly on every  Monday using a scale and will display a 1/2 pound loss which will create  a 2 1/2 pound loss per month for 12 months, resulting in a total 30 pound loss by November 2016.  This weight loss will be charted and achieved by reducing the consumption of deserts and alcohol to only one serving per weekend and increasing twice the current amount of leafy greens consumed during at least one meal per day.

 Here is a behavioral objective pattern for success to use for anything you wish to change in your life.

Although it is taken from the one above that focuses on weight, health and wellness, tweak it to meet your needs, time period, and objectives. Fill in the blanks so it becomes your successful Behavioral Objective New Year Resolution.

As seen today (date)_________by this time next year, (date)___________, I (your name)_________ will have (state your desired behavior)  _________________.  This behavior will be measured (how often) _____________by (device)____________, and will display (desired results)_____________ which will create (amount)_________ per (time period)__________. This will be charted by ______________ and success will be seen as (state new behavior)____________________________________.

Set up your chart. As you review your success on the chart you will be rewarded by accountability and evaluate. Now you are working with yourself for success.

Use your dreams as a GPS to keep you on the right road. If you miss a self-evaluation measurement see if you are reminded of it in a dream. Your dream may be validation that your inner-guidance is now part of your success team.

Turn your stress into a game.

See how often you hit your mark on your daily or weekly objective. Reward yourself with a pat on the back when you fill in your chart. Now, you have bragging rights. Share your New Year Resolution Behavioral Objectives with your friends. Perhaps they would like to join you in this healthy game.

It is human to be stressed. Suffering through it alone is a choice. Choose to control your stress through dreams, prayers and meditations rather than allowing it to control you. Make resolutions you can keep.  And, enjoy your Happy Holidays.

Bio: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos is a TV/Radio Producer/Host of Wicked Housewives On Cape Cod® and Author/Lecturer of the International award winning bestseller, Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with inner guidance for success in health, wealth, and love, contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams & Premonitions, PATHEOS Blogger and Columnist to Women Voices Magazine: SOUL and HOME, Kat taught Special Education and Psychology. Learn more @ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com

(all photos, posters, information and quotes are owned by the author or used with permission from the guest)