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Resolve to Succeed
How to make your New Year’s resolutions stick this year!
By Leah Ingram
Many Americans equate January with a fresh start, thus New
Year’s resolutions. Chances are you’ve drawn up a list, and
one of these six popular promises of changed behavior
appears on it. Considering that only 57 percent of people
keep their New Year’s resolutions each year, so says The
Marist Poll, you should read on for advice on how not to
fall off the resolution bandwagon this year.
1. Lose weight/eat better
Try approaching this resolution realistically, not
restrictively. Instead of telling yourself, “I can’t eat ice
cream any more,” say, “If I have five servings of fruits and
vegetables in a day, I can treat myself to a small ice cream
cone.” “You have to include favorite foods in your diet,
just in smaller portions, so you don’t feel deprived,” say
Bonnie Taub-Dix, a New York City registered dietitian and
American Dietetic Association spokesperson.
2. Exercise more
Being busy is no excuse for being lazy. “You can sneak in
exercise by incorporating a brisk walk into your errands, or
walking around the soccer field while your kids are at
practice,” says Leslie Spencer, PhD, an associate professor
of health and exercise science at Rowan University in
Glassboro, New Jersey. I worked exercise into my life by
always being dressed to walk the dog when taking my kids to
the bus stop. Once they were on their way to school, the dog
and I embarked on our 1.5-mile walk around the neighborhood.
3. Stop smoking
Quitting cold turkey isn’t always a good idea. “You should
give yourself five days to ‘get read’ to quit,” advises
Cheryl Heaton, PhD, president of the American Legacy
Foundation in Washington, DC. She also recommends using
multiple tools—medication, counseling, and support—in your
quest to give up cigarettes for good.
4. Get out of debt/handle money better
Experts like Angela Stillwell, a financial planner at AXA
Advisors in Atlanta, Georgia, advise setting a weekly or
monthly budget, and then adopting a cash-only program. When
paying off debt, start by focusing on the credit card with
the highest interest rate.
5. Get organized/keep the house in better order
To succeed in conquering clutter, professional organizer
Elaine Bloom of Maplewood, New Jersey, suggests setting a
timer for 30 minutes each day, and working on one organizing
project only. “For some people, tackling a task without a
time limit makes it seem so daunting that they don’t even
get started,” she says. When I decided to get my home
organized, I reminded myself that I didn’t end up in this
mess overnight, so I couldn’t expect to fix it overnight
either. FYI, January is Get Organized Month.
6. Have more “me” time
According to Susan Newman, PhD, the author of “the Book of
No,” learning to say no is the best way to carve out more
time for you in the New Year. “If someone asks you to help
out with a fundraiser, and you’re afraid to decline for fear
of hurting that person’s feelings, your ‘me’ time will go
out the window,” she says. And when you say no, you needn’t
add a reason why you’re declining.
Stats and Info on Resolutions
In January:
* Calls to 1-800-GOT-JUNK, a company that disposes of
unwanted goods, increase threefold.
* Traffic to the National Association of Professional
Organizers’ web site, www.napo.net, rises 30 percent.
* The Container Store, which sells organizational products,
has its business month of the year.
* Forty percent of smokers decide to quit, says the American
Legacy Foundation.
* Weight loss programs Jenny Craig and NutriSystems see a 20
percent and 30 to 40 percent increase in new clients,
respectively.
Leah Ingram writes on lifestyle topics for national
magazines, and is the author of 12 books on gifts, etiquette
and weddings. Learn more about her at
www.giftsandetiquette.com
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