It is nearly February and your New Year’s resolutions are gone. Long gone. It was the 2nd, maybe the 3rd, definitely by the 5th that you last went to the gym, said positive things to your spouse, meditated or read scripture, or whatever it is you decided you need to do to improve your life.

And, you think, there’s no sense starting today – it’s January 26th – so you will wait until the 1st. But you won’t because the 1st is a Sunday and nobody starts a new habit on a Sunday… you’ll wait until Monday.

And so it goes until New Year’s Day rolls around again and you decide to give it one more try.

Don’t Wait!

You really can start something new in the middle of the month or the middle of the week.

Think Big.

Don’t imagine yourself losing 10 lbs; imagine a healthy lifestyle maintained for years. Don’t picture fewer arguments with your spouse, plan on a loving, healthy marriage.

Plan Small.

Small behavior changes that are habits in themselves will build toward a lifestyle change. Don’t promise yourself you will get up early and run 5 miles. Start instead with getting up early. Once that is a habit, add a realistic goal such as walking around the cul-de-sac. You can choose to go further, but success is simply walking the two minutes it takes to go around the circle. People give up when they feel overwhelmed with the activity. Micro-goals create success and prevent feeling defeated.

Set goals you have some control over.

Less conflict at home isn’t entirely up to you. What is up to you – what is within your control – is what you say to your spouse or how you respond to your children. Don’t give someone else control over your success.

Manage your self-talk.

Most of us tend to be our own worst enemies. We can talk ourselves out of just about anything, including those things that are good for us. After you have set a behavior changing, realistic, micro-goal… congratulate yourself.

Written by G. Bowden McElroy, M.Ed.