012419 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

If you’re like me, the new year can
be as stressful as it is rejuvenating.
All around you, people are motivated.
Whether their goals are to
lose weight, conquer fears or travel
to exotic lands, everyone seems to
be making big plans for the future.
Every year, it’s a cacophony of “new
year, new me!” Funny how that chorus
fades by February.
Business Insider claims that 80
percent of people who make New
Year’s resolutions fail within six
weeks. On average, it takes 66 days
to form a new habit, just over two
months. Which means, all those resolution
resigners who strive to make
life changes fall short only a couple
of weeks before their new routines
become habit. Others, who vow to
try new things, save money or make
new friends, simply develop a convenient
form of amnesia about their
once-adamant goals.
If you’re one of those who typically
lets your resolutions fade, don’t be
ashamed. I’m right there with you.
Last year, I wrote a list of 10 things I
wanted to do during 2018. I utterly
failed. Not this year. This is my year.
This is our year. We can do this —
together!
Realistic Resolutions
As the saying goes: How do you
eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
I’m not saying to fulfill your goal
of trying new foods with a taste of
Dumbo. What that means is, when
faced with a seemingly impossible
or overwhelming task, the best way
to tackle it is by taking small steps.
New Year’s resolutions are no different.
The first step to setting and accomplishing
your goals for 2019 is
to set realistic resolutions.
Be honest with yourself, and give
yourself permission to adjust your
goals if your January enthusiam went
a little overboard. Instead of saying
you want to lose 30 pounds, aim for
10. If you start a new regimen too
eagerly, you’ll burn out just as quickly
as you began. Don’t try to change
your entire life overnight. Instead of
cutting out all junk food, choose one
meal each day to be your healthy
meal. Take the pressure off of yourself
to become an entirely different
person just because it’s the start of a
new year.
If you want to travel to exotic places,
try taking a solo day trip to a city
you’ve never been before. Florida has
some great one-day getaway destinations.
(See the June 21, 2018, digital issue
at www.southwestorlandobulletin/
digital-editions for ideas.) If you want
to make new friends, try joining an
app. Bumble isn’t just for dating.
It also has a feature to find friends.
Also, Meetup.com brings people together
who are interested in similar
activities.
Reward Good Behavior
Did you go to the gym today?
Did you order a side salad instead
of fries? Maybe you went to dinner
by yourself or bought a book or
signed up for a new class. Whatever
steps you took to follow through on
your resolution, reward yourself!
You deserve it. Change is hard.
If keeping resolutions was easy,
most of us wouldn’t give up in under
two months. So, no matter how
small your progress was, give yourself
points for sticking to your goal
and take a moment to congratulate
yourself.
We are often our own worst critics,
and how sad is that? Make sure the
voice in your head is a positive one.
Be your own cheerleader and make
sure you are rewarded for good behavior.
Just don’t allow your reward
to derail you from your resolution. If
you’re trying to eat healthier, maybe
don’t buy an entire chocolate cake
as a reward. One slice, however,
might be just the motivation you need
to keep going.
Allow Setbacks but Don’t Give Up!
Since we are all human and not
perfect, expect that you aren’t always
going to be on track for your
resolution. It’s OK to have setbacks.
It’s not OK to give up. If you find
www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com x January 24 — February 6, 2019 x 5
HOW
TO ...
Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Don’t Give Up When It Gets Hard
by Lauren Salinero
yourself slipping back into old habits
or avoiding taking those chances
you promised yourself you would,
don’t stress. Take a day off from
pushing yourself, so you don’t burn
out. Use that cheat day to its fullest,
but get right back on track the next
day.
When the new year’s motivation
starts to fade, remind yourself of your
goals. Look at where you started and
the progress you’ve already made,
no matter how great or small that
progress is. Keep moving forward to
reach the goals you set for yourself.
Don’t give up when it gets hard —
that’s the exact point between who
you were last year and who you
want to be this year.
I wish you the best of success
with your resolutions in 2019! Want
Were you realistic about your New Year’s
resolutions? Don’t get discouraged. There’s
still time.
to brag about completing a goal
you set for yourself? Let me know!
Email lauren@kearneypublishing.com
to share your success story and
maybe inspire your neighbors to
keep up with their goals, too. ª
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