Six Tips for Keeping Your Resolutions in 2008

It's the New Year. Time to make those resolutions—at least one of which I’m willing to bet is health-related

I'm not going to tell you what you should resolve to do, but I am going to give you six ideas that will help you stick to your resolutions better this year.

You know how the story goes. You make a New Year's resolution and three weeks later, you've either given up on the idea or forgotten about it altogether.

One of the first keys to success when it comes to keeping a resolution—or achieving any worthwhile goal—is to write it down.

So get out a piece of paper and write down your resolutions.

Here are five more ways to increase your odds of success:
• Make a plan. Having a goal is great, but you need a plan to get there. If you want to lose fifteen plans, think about how you are going to do that. Write down your plan and keep it with your goal.
• Review and renew your commitment. This is simple. Take five minutes to read through your goal and plan each day. This will keep your resolution fresh in your mind.
• Don't get derailed. It's easy to give up on a goal if you drop the ball even once. For example, if you resolve to exercise for 30 minutes each day and you miss a day, it's tempting to throw your hands in the air and call it quits. But one bad day doesn't need to destroy your entire goal. Just get back on track the next day.
• Reward yourself. When you make your plan, set milestones. Using the "I’m going to lose fifteen pounds" example again, consider rewarding yourself at the five-pound marks along the way. Rewards don't have to be huge or expensive, but make them something that will have significance for you.
• Finally, have someone hold you accountable. It's easier to stick to a goal if you have someone who knows and cares about what you are trying to accomplish.

New Year's resolutions don't have to be a waste of time—by taking these steps you can make meaningful and steady progress toward your goals in 2008.

Happy New Year!
Meghan Krohn