Did you make a resolution? Most people do, consciously or not. The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is a built-in time for reflection. You may resolve to go to the gym or learn a musical instrument but often something will come up that interrupts the routine, progress is lost and the resolution loses its ... resolve.
John O’Neill, LCSW, LCDC, CSAT, director of Addiction Services for The Menninger Clinic in Houston, says all is not lost if you plan your resolution, including planning for setbacks. And his 5-step program is not just for New Years, you can resolve to make positive changes at any time.
“This is the time we tend to generate new hope for the next year. As we reflect, we think about what needs to be different,” O’Neill says. “The process of thinking about change is critical to developing actual change. It is a process that is helpful no matter what time of year.”
Resolutions usually take the form of either starting something, like an exercise program, or stopping something, like reading High School Musical fan fiction until 5AM (seriously, she did confess to that once). Before you commit to your resolution; however, first take a look at what is motivating you to change.
If you are ready to make the change devise a strategy that provides the best chance for success. O’Neill offers the following tips for setting and achieving resolutions:
1. Have a strategy. Simply saying you want to do something does not fuel the change. Consider the strategy and outline the process of change that is simple and realistic.
2. Keep resolutions to a minimum. Attempting to stop or start multiple things may serve to overwhelm you and prevent you from doing any of them. “It makes good sense to keep change simple and to tackle one major change at a time,” O’Neill says. “Having multiple resolutions may be too much for the brain to process and may make change difficult.”
3. Get a resolution buddy. Lock in someone who will help support your changes.
4. Reward yourself for hitting milestones. If you are keeping goals simple, you can appreciate exercising more or better eating.
5. Watch stress levels. Many resolutions center around behaviors that are in place to cope with stress such as smoking, drinking or problematic eating. When we change the behaviors, we need a new plan to manage stress.
