NEW ARTICLES EVERY MONTH
January 2009
Truly Good Resolutions
More exercise! Live a healthier lifestyle! More free time! Almost everyone starts off the year with a list of good resolutions. No sooner are the holidays over and your New Year resolutions for the long term have already fallen victim to your everyday routine. The following steps will help you successfully follow through on your New Year resolutions.
Step 1: A good list
You are off to a good start if you list the things that you want to have more of in the coming year. Formulate your list positively; for example, “more time with family” is a more concrete goal than “working less.”
Step 2: Less is more
Organising daily life is usually complex enough. Follow the principle of “simplify your life” by listing only a few important goals and concentrate on these. Two or three true achievements will make you happier than 10 unfulfilled desires.
Step 3: Reward yourself more often
Do not plan from New Year to New Year and from year to year, rather in shorter stages. Reward yourself now and then for your minor successes. Big undertakings will come to you much easier – and make noticeable contributions to the success of your larger resolutions. It is very important that you take some time away from your routine now and then to relax, lean back and allow yourself to think about what you have achieved. That is how you avoid eleventh hour panic and align your goals and activities to meet your actual needs.
Step 4: Nobody is perfect
New resolutions are all well and good, but don’t be too much of a perfectionist. Happiness can only seldom be planned. Give in to your own rhythm of living and admit your weaknesses now and then, instead of constantly fighting against them. Pay attention to the healthy balance between mind and body. You can jog some problems out of your mind, and sometimes a good way to fight tension is to simply dive into a good trashy novel.
