Are you thinking about the resolutions that you made on New Year’s Eve? A lot of us did the same so maybe we resolved to stop smoking, drink less or lose weight but it s eems that only one in ten of us will achieve our goal.  Here are a few tips to make sure that this year you succeed with your resolution(s):

1. It’s easier if you only make one resolution – your chances of success are greater when you channel your energy into changing just one aspect of your behaviour.
2. By breaking down your resolutions into smaller goals, you’re more likely to succeed.
3. Tell your family and friends what you’re hoping to do – they may well support you when you feel like giving up.
4. Keep reminding yourself about the benefits of achieving your goal. This will help you to keep going. Write down these benefits to look at when you’re tempted to go back to your old ways.
5. Whatever resolution you’ve chosen, try to accept that you may need help and support with it. If you want to stop smoking, visit your GP Surgery for help and guidance from a Stop Smoking Clinic, nicotine patches, lozenges or you could try hypnosis. If you want to lose weight, join a slimming club (you can do this on-line as well as attending classes, especially as none of us know what restrictions might be in place during the coming months). There is usually some support available whatever your resolution happens to be.
6. Don’t focus on the downside of what you’re doing. For instance, if you’re hoping to lose weight try not to think about the foods you can’t eat but focus instead on how, in six weeks’ time, you’ll be able to buy clothes that are a size smaller.
7. Expect to revert back to your old habits sometimes (maybe you already have!) but treat it as a temporary setback rather than a reason to give up altogether.
8. If you feel that your success might be hampered by low self-esteem or lack of assertiveness, consider counselling to help you overcome this.

Good luck with whatever resolution you’ve chosen and I hope that by this time next year, you’ll have achieved whichever goal you’re setting for yourself. I hope that you’ve found this blog helpful and interesting – if so, I’d love it if you bought me a coffee ☕ (see tab at top of page). Thank you so much.

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