Happy New Year!
BOSTON (CBS) - The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve are so stressful and this year we came up a week short.
Most folks have overindulged in oh so many ways. And now we have begun to wonder how on earth we are going to undo the damage done?
We will ring in a brand new year tonight and with that we want to undo or redo some of the things we did last year! Or we want to start something new, make something even better.
Thus we make New Year's Resolutions. We are really good at making those resolutions and not very good at keeping them.
We often make the same resolutions each year and soon our interest and enthusiasm wane and our good intentions slip away. This year choose just one or two things to work on. You really don't need a complete makeover! Perhaps a bit of tweaking though might help.
The experts say it's very hard to give up old habits like smoking, drinking, video games, shopping, gambling, caffeine and chocolate. These are the addictive ones and yes chocolate can be addictive! I am seriously considering writing a 12-step program for Chocoholics Anonymous.
You have a better chance of succeeding at your New Year's resolutions if you are looking for a fresh start and not trying to change an old habit. Starting an exercise program has a better chance for success than giving up caffeine.
Another good suggestion is to work with a buddy. You will be accountable to someone.
The experts do agree on one thing, you need a plan to succeed. Write down your resolutions, prioritize them. Then outline what it will take to reach your goals. How much time and money are you willing to spend on your resolutions? How bad do you want to change?
By writing them down you have activated a part of your brain called the Reticular Activating System and you will begin to process information on those goals.
Happy New Year!