"Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”

- Mark Twain

Do you even remember your New Year’s Resolutions from last year? How many of last year’s resolutions did you keep?
Were you trying to lose weight?
Were you going to get into shape?
How many of your were going to quit smoking?

A long time ago I found that most New Year’s resolutions last at best about 30-60 days. The gym that is crowded in January is nearly empty in mid February.

As Mark Twain has so eloquently stated, most New Year’s resolutions fail. I am sure there are many reasons for this, but I suspect that one of the main reasons is that we make a resolution about a symptom, and not the real problem. For example, losing weight is usually the most frequently made New Year’s resolution. But instead of a generic “I’m going to lose X number of pounds” wouldn’t it be better to resolve to stop one behavior that has made you overweight in the first place? Maybe you should resolve to make healthier food choices when eating out – a cheese pizza has almost half the fat of a pepperoni pizza. As long as you don’t increase the amount of pizza you eat, you should see an improvement.

I bet if you were to actually start exercising (or exercise a little more regularly) you would see an even greater improvement in your weight!

I suspect the other reason most people fail to keep their New Year’s resolution is because they are not realistic. If you have tried to quit smoking for the last couple of years and are still smoking, maybe this year you should simply resolve to cut your smoking by 1/3.

Next year you could reduce the amount you smoke by 1/3 again. After a two years, of reducing how much you smoke, quitting would probably be easier. Granted it would take you longer to get to the point where you are no longer smoking, but how long have you made a resolution to stop smoking?

Finally, I think most people fail to keep their resolutions because they really aren’t motivated. The goal of losing weight continues to be one of, if not the number one, New Year’s resolution. It also happens to be the resolution least likely to be kept. But what if your doctor were to say you need to lose 20 pounds and start exercising if you want to be around for next year? I bet you would be a little more motivated to eat less and exercise more then!

But instead, most people make a lame annual commitment to lose weight. They won’t get seriously motivated until they are faced with the prospect of their own demise.

As for me, I’ll make the same New Year’s resolution this year that I have for the last 15 years. I only make one, but I do my best to adhere to it every day of the year. The only thing that has changed over the last 15 years is the actual wording – but the general idea is the same. It used to be, “I will screw up less this year than last year.” Over time it has evolved into, “I will try to be smarter and do fewer stupid things this year than I did last year.” I realize it isn’t much, but it is a resolution that I really do try to stick with throughout the year.

For what its worth, make a realistic commitment that you are truly motivated to keep rather than make some lame commitment for something that isn’t realistic.

Happy New Year everyone!