New Year’s Resolutions – Tips for Staying on Track

 

2013By this, the second week of January, you probably have already wavered in keeping your New Year’s resolutions. Whether it was to lose weight, exercise, get organized, or control your spending, the chances of it going by the wayside are huge. Luckily, we’re here to help you get back on track with some tips to help keep your resolutions in check.

Write it down. Seeing your goals in-print can make them more attainable.

Use the buddy system. Safety in numbers, we always say. If you share your goal with a friend, you can help each other reach it together. It’s good to have an account-a-bili-buddy, whether it’s to work out together or share tips on nutrition and organization. The best part is having someone to celebrate with when you reach your milestones.

Start small and specific. Give yourself reasonable deadlines and you’ll find it’s much easier to reach them. Instead of having a vague goal such as losing weight, say you’ll lose 5 lbs. in a month. Once you reach that attainable goal, the next one won’t seem so daunting.

Be realistic. Saying you’ll lose weight, exercise more, be a better employee, spend more time with family, eat better, get out of debt, and set a budget all at once is setting yourself up for failure. Pick one or two that are the most important and go from there. Or have a different resolution for each month, like this HuffPo blogger did.

Take it easy on yourself. If it’s not even February and you have already blown your diet or budgeting plan, it’s OK, really! Instead of beating yourself up, just start over when you’re ready. Committing to an overhaul whether it’s physical or financial is tough. Give yourself credit for even attempting it.

Get some help. You don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s enlisting the help of a nutritionist, financial planner, or personal trainer, resources are out there. You can even download some apps to keep your goals on-track.

Don’t deprive yourself. If dieting is your resolution and you’re miserable from starvation, indulge a little. Eat a little bit of what you’re craving. And remember, a small amount of dark chocolate is good for you!

 

Nicole Patel

Nicole Patel is the proprietor of and chocolatier for Delysia Chocolatier. In 2006 while pregnant with her first son, Nicole made a batch of chocolate truffles as holiday gifts. To the delight of friends and family, she continued to create chocolates as a way to relieve stress from her corporate engineering job. In 2008, a chance trip to Becker Vineyards led to Nicole being the first in Texas to make truffles using local wines. Within five years, what started as a hobby turned Delysia into one of the Top Ten Chocolatiers in the Americas, as selected by the International Chocolate Salon.