My New Year's Resolutions

Stephen V. Rapposelli, PT, OCS

I woke up on New Year's Day with a bunch of resolutions, mostly devoted to improving my health. To help me lose some weight, I decided that I would go running every day in 2007. Yes, I should have known better. Yes, I missed my first day of running on January 3rd. How have your resolutions been holding up lately? Perhaps you, too, have seen your best intentions get priority right after your job, spouse, kids, pets, and neighbors and church. Here are my tips to make your new year's resolutions stick better. Now is the time to re-group and make better resolutions for February.

Tip #1
Tell yourself the resolution is for one month only, or one week only. Remember me running EVERY DAY in 2007? That is just ridiculous! Once you have done it for a short period of time, only do it for another month only, or another week only. If you build little blocks of success, they start adding up.

Tip # 2
Only try to do 2 new resolutions. Everyone comes up with a huge list, only to get overwhelmed. You can only do so much at a time, and you are setting yourself up for unnecessary guilt by doing too many things.

Tip #3
Learn from past mistakes. I resolved to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Have you ever tried to do that, wondering by 3pm if you had drank 3 or was that 4 glasses? At that point, you just forget it, right? One of our therapists brought in a plastic bottle that looked like a small water cooler-exactly 64 oz. Now, as long as I drink that one bottle, I know that I drank my water for the day - no thinking needed!

Tip #4
Make it public. Everyone in our practice knows that I am trying to drink this water, just by seeing that darn bottle. It has now become a running joke, even with the patients. Others have joined in, making it a real team effort. Even if only one other person knows your resolution, it will make it easier to keep going.

Tip #5
Think of a reward, and think of it fast! Don't wait for reaching a far off goal before rewarding yourself, but get little rewards along the way. If you want to lose 30 pounds, buy something for yourself as a reward after 5 or 10 pounds.

Tip #6
Do not be afraid to start over. If you fail at your original resolution, re-group and make an easier goal in the same category. For example, if you can't give up cheeseburgers and fries all together, give them up during the week. Can't run every day in 2007? Run 3 times a week.

Tip #7
If your resolution involves any kind of exercise, and you are over 40 years old, or it has been a long time since you exercised, please see your doctor first. This is a requirement at our fitness center, and you would be surprised at how many times this has uncovered a treatable problem.

Last Tip
Combine your resolutions if you can. Since I have been drinking 64 oz. of water a day, I have been running every day!