w/ The Do’s and Don’ts for setting your New Year’s Resolution

( CHICAGO ) – It’s that time of year again, time to set those New Year’s resolutions and attempt to stick to them. Every year, people say they will quit smoking, lose weight and save money, but most people do not stick to their resolution for more than a month. Chicagohealers.com practitioner, Catherine Wood has a five-step plan for setting and keeping New Year’s resolutions. Touching on the Do’s and Don’ts for setting resolutions Wood provides concrete examples on how to really achieve those goals in the New Year. The five steps include:

Step: #5: Follow your heart; resolutions can be easy or hard.

DO-Follow your heart; set goals that are exciting to you that make it easy for you to achieve.

DON’T-Set resolutions that your heart isn’t into or you feel you are being forced to do something because you SHOULD or someone else is EXPECTING you to do it.

EXAMPLE-Quit smoking for you and your health. Don’t quit for someone else’s sake. That will only lead you back to lighting up.

Step #4: Set realistic and specific goals

DO-State the goals of your resolution in positive terms. If your resolution is to lose weight set a realistic goal of losing 6-10 pounds a month. Leave room for some mild cheating.

DON’T-Overwhelm yourself and set unrealistic goals. Trying to lose more weight in a little time period is unhealthy to the body and could lead to overeating.

EXAMPLE-Say to yourself, “I am going to lose two pounds a week by eating healthy and exercising regularly, which will lead to a healthier body image. Leaving room for some mild cheating will also help you stick to your ultimate weight loss goal won’t deprive you of your cravings.

Step #3: Take it one step at a time; focus on the process, not the outcome

DO-Manage your resolution by focusing on the process and determine a deadline for the outcome.

DON’T-Loose focus on the process that will lead you to resistance.

EXAMPLE-This year you want to save money to go on vacation. Review your budget, determine the costs and set aside a specific amount of money a month to achieve your goal. Then set your deadline a month before taking your vacation. This will give you leeway on saving, plus you may have extra spending money. During the process, if you encounter resistance to the goal, look at the resistance and see why your goals fall short.

Step #2: Get support from family and friends

DO-Build a strong support system of family and friends.

DON’T-Make it tough or be rough on yourself.

EXAMPLE-When the going gets tough, rely on your support system for encouragement. Your support system will help you focus, stick to the process and achieve your goals. They want to see you succeed!

Step #1: Be in control. Just DO it. And DON’T give up. With all this in place, almost anything is possible

DO-Remind yourself that you are in control of your thoughts, feelings and actions. Also enjoy the process; continue to be realistic and positive.

DON’T-Let other people, places or things control you or let anything get in your way of accomplishing your goals.