A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION.

A New Year's Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until the set goal has been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved and are often broken fairly shortly after they are set.

No matter how successful one has been in following the resolutions in previous year, one makes fresh resolutions for the coming year with full determination and will. The starting days of New Year are the most crucial in order to plan for the entire year. These are the days when most of the people sketch a graph for the whole year. To materialize the things thought of is somewhat difficult but still some people manage to do so. New Year resolutions provide a sort of direction to people to lead for the coming year.

Many New Year resolutions involve maintaining peak vitality, physical fitness, or appearance. For example, one person's goal might be to reduce or to eliminate intake of alcohol, tobacco, or recreational drugs. For other it could be to mange stress, eat healthier and sensibly, exercise more, spend more time with family and more community involvement. The most common new year's resolution is weight loss. A student may make a resolution to stay focused in class or to complete all of his assignments.

“A new year is a great time to think about the changes we want to make in our lives. Being and staying well is a resolution many people make for the New Year, but those resolutions can lead to frustration when we find we have set unrealistic goals. Making a resolution to change one thing that will make us healthier is a priceless gift that only we can give to ourselves.

Sticking to your resolutions and making changes can be difficult but not impossible. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) would like to offer tips and other resources to help families and individuals keep their resolutions for a healthy mind and healthy life.

Try again. Everyone has made, and broken past resolutions, that does not mean that you won’t succeed this time. Start with a positive approach, including thinking about what has disrupted your good intentions in the past. Don’t discourage yourself with a negative outlook.

Don’t make too many resolutions. Trying to eat better, exercise more, quit smoking, and reduce stress is too much to tackle at once. Pick a realistic, attainable goal with a reasonable time frame.

Choose your own resolution. Make sure this is something that you want to accomplish for yourself and not for friends or family. When you attain the goal they will benefit from your success as well.

Make a plan and write it down. Plan what you’d like to accomplish in three or six months. Achieving small goals over time gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep going. Writing your goals down is a good way to keep track of your progress.

Involve friends and family. They can support your efforts, and can motivate you to keep going. Setting a personal goal is not a “promise” which can never be broken. Don’t paint yourself into a corner by overstating what can be a realistic change you plan to make.

Forgive yourself. If you get off track, don’t think that you failed. Review your plan and make adjustments.

Congratulate yourself. Reward yourself when your intermediate goals or resolutions are met.

The most important point to consider when deciding on your resolutions is to decide if you are truly willing to make the change in your life. Deciding to make the change just to have a resolution will not keep you motivated to attain your goal. Many people fail because they are afraid or don’t fully realize how the goal can benefit their every day lives. When you decide on your resolution, make a plan of action and list the ways it will improve your life. When you can see the prize, you are more likely to keep up the fight.

Kewal Ahluwalia.