5 more realistic New Year's Resolutions you're sure to accomplish!

We all do it...make our lists of what we want to accomplish in the New Year. If you look back I bet your list, like mine, is pretty much the same each year. I think I have had the same list for quite sometime now. I have finally figured out why I don't accomplish mine completely.  I say completely because I do OK. I think that my goals are too aggressive.  I'm too tough on myself.  I mean well but I'm not as realistic as I should be.  When making resolutions we often times don't take into account everything else we have going on. We parents aren't thinking about soccer practices and school plays.  Career-focused individuals and students fail to remember work or school projects that require additional time and effort.  So I've taken 5 common resolutions and altered them so that there is no way you can't accomplish them!


Common Goal: "Lose <insert desired lbs to lose> by the end of the year
Altered Goal: Exercise more
~ There are a few reasons why losing a certain amount of weight by a certain time can be challenging.  To begin, you just may not have the time to put in the amount of exercise necessary to lose that many pounds.  Not only that but depending on your age sometimes it's not as easy to lose weight as others.  The goal alone can be stressful and for those that stress eat, that would sort of work against you.  Simply saying "exercise more" is not so much pressure.  So if you currently workout twice a week, increase it to three times a week.  Or if you currently workout just 30 minutes a day increase it to 45 minutes and you have reached your goal every time you workout!

Common Goal: Learn something new
Altered Goal:  Perfect something old
~ For me it's been to learn a new language (Italian).  I have started this goal every year for the last few years but just haven't been able to stick with it. Growing up a military brat and traveling internationally most of my early years I already started learning 3 languages.  I learned the basics in Japanese, German and Spanish but I'm not fluent in any.  So instead of trying to start a whole new language from scratch I've decided to perfect my Spanish.  So for this goal just think back on something you have started and never really completed and make completing or perfecting it your goal.

Common Goal: Diet
Altered Goal: Make Healthier Choices
~ Again, like the exercise goal dieting can really be a setup.  There is something about the word diet that just triggers me to cheat on it. LOL I think it's the fact that it means I can't have something.  Instead of completely cutting something out either reduce your intake of it (like sugar) or replace it with a healthier option.  For example if you HAVE to have McDonald's, instead of getting a chicken Sandwich or Big Mac, choose the grilled chicken sandwich.  Or if you have a taste for something sweet, instead of buying an entire pack of cookies where you can easily go back and eat another and another, get kettle corn popcorn.  The sweetness and the crunch will satisfy your urge for sugar without all of the extra calories.  You are cutting the calories down by a lot.

Common Goal: Spend more time with family and friends
Altered Goal: Plan a home visit and friends get together
~ Let's face it family and friends sometimes get the short end of the stick when it comes to quality time.  We don't realize how much we miss them until the Holidays when we finally get together.  THAT is when our hearts tell us that we miss and need more of this love and laughter  often in our loves.  So make it happen! Plan something yourself.  This ensures it will be done.  Plan a family Spring or Summer weekend.  It doesn't have to be an expensive event.  I mean for the holidays it's usually just everyone gathered in one place and enjoying a great dinner.  Laughs and love are free!  As far as your friends you can plan a friend happy hour or ice cream social. Again, nothing too high maintenance.  The goal here is to get together outside the holidays and enjoy one another.  It's always a good idea to find a healthy balance with family and friends so that you aren't neglecting. I'm married and as a married (almost    

Common Goal:  Get out of debt
Altered Goal:  Setup payment plan with debtor(s)
~while the ultimate goal is to get out of debt it may take over a year to do it so why not set more short term goals to get you there.  It's less painful and more realistic. For example "pay off one credit card" or " setup a payment plan for 2 items on your credit report.  Another route to go is to go to a debt class or do a course  just to get tips or ways to better approach getting rid of debt.  Those steps all help toward the main goal which is getting out of debt.

Breath of fresh air right?! I think we can do this.  With less pressure and more focus on accomplishing smaller goals those bigger goals will be reached in no time!