New Year’s Day is creeping up. Have you made a resolution? I recently read that 85% of Americans make a New Year’s resolution, while a whopping 20% end up keeping it.
This statistic reminds me of a riddle I heard recently. There were three monkeys sitting on a log. One decided to jump off. How many were still sitting on the log? The answer is three. Deciding to do something is different from actually doing it, the moral of the story would suggest.
Still, we would never make any improvements in life without a plan. I suggest that everyone should make a resolution this year, but with a few conditions.
First, the resolution should be realistic. Deciding to run a full marathon might be realistic to you if you already run several miles a day, but don’t make such a lofty ambition if your exercise routine has been little to nothing. For most people, a goal of exercising a half an hour at least five days a week would be more attainable.
Second, back your resolution up with accountability. Find a partner who will make the pledge with you and will check in on you. In my case, my sister and I are emailing each other every Friday to account for our week. Having a chance to brag about my healthy choices or confide if things aren’t going as planned will help keep me on track during the tougher moments.
Third, write the decision down. Keep it in a place that you will notice from time to time. Saving it as a document on your computer desktop is a great place. Read it every few weeks to remind yourself what your hopes were coming into the new year.
Chances are by the end of January the excitement for our resolution will have worn off. If we have made a realistic goal and backed it with accountability, I think we’ll be much more likely to say with satisfaction that we are in that 20% who follow through on our New Year’s resolution.
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