Rebecca Ward's thoughts on New Year's Resolutions

I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions for awhile because it's that time of year and because I'm talking about them on GMA this week. All the major networks have had segments on them and I've really not seen or heard anything about the subject that surprised me. The main gist seems to be that of those who make them, a very small percentage are successful in keeping them. I read somewhere on the net that 88% fail to keep those heartfelt commitments made with such fervor on December 31, when many are still feeling stuffed and bloated from too many holiday goodies, fatigued from many extra responsibilities and activities, and perhaps, from sipping too many adult libations. We feel guilty!!

Really making a resolution from a place of guilt is not a solid place from which to start! Why? Well, because guilt can promote unrealistic goals that are too daunting to reach. If you say "I'm never drinking alcohol again" that is likely doomed to fail (especially if you  are proclaiming this while you have a headache-hangover) because it's got the "never" word in it and is not well-thought out. It's almost a desperate pronouncement, a plea to the gods in atonement for your sin of over-enjoying alcoholic beverages. A resolution much more likely to stick would sound more like this "I'm going to limit myself to only two drinks when reveling so I won't have to feel this lousy again." Better and more do-able!

I read somewhere that resolutions actually have some religious history, an atonement kind of activity meant to please the gods and to make us better people. Even the ancient Babylonians practiced some form of making resolutions at the beginning of the new year. I wonder how they fared?

One article I read said that men succeed at about a 10% higher rate than women. They make more measurable goals apparently than women do. A man might say "I am going to lose 10lbs" while a woman might say "I'm fat and I'm never eating chocolate again and I"m going to lose a ton of weight"

Another study said it helps to elicit help from you friends in keeping your resolutions. Tell your best friend that you want to lose 10 lbs so she won't offer you dessert when you go out to lunch. I have known some successful former-smokers who told  everyone that they had quit smoking so they wouldn't slip-up without facing public derision.

Whatever you decide to do during these first few days of January, think about what you want to change about yourself or your life, what improvements you'd like to experience in yourself and your life, and then commit to something very reasonable toward those goals. Set yourself up to win in this age old practice of starting the new year off on a positive note.Good luck and Spring will come again. Me? I've always thought April was the optimum month for beginning an improvement program. Sunlight is such a motivator!

-Rebecca Ward