Setting New Year's resolutions

This is the time of year when many people begin thinking about their resolutions for the New Year. You may have a good idea of what your resolutions will be but for many people it may be a very difficult decision. In this article we will focus on the top five tips for making successful New Years resolutions.

 

1.  Be True to Yourself

The most important part of setting successful New Year’s resolutions is that they be true to your authentic self. The authentic self is the part of you that never really changes. It is the part of you that is inherently you, your constitution. Capitalize on your strengths by tapping into your authentic self and use this to create the best resolutions for yourself.

2.  Don’t Try to Please Others with Your Goals

Your New Year’s resolutions should be designed to fulfil your inner desires not appease the needs or wants of other people. Trying to please other people almost always ultimately fails especially if you have no true desire to achieve the goal. It is okay to set goals with other people in mind but be sure that you are ultimately doing it for yourself.

3.  Set Realistic and Attainable Resolutions

It is extremely important to set New Year’s resolutions that are realistic and attainable for you. It only does harm to set goals that you realistically won’t be able to achieve. Take time to think about how you can make your New Year’s resolutions realistic and attainable.

4.  Take Baby Steps

Many resolutions may require baby steps to be achieved. Often there is no need to rush to a result. In fact, many goals need time to be achieved and are best when divided into smaller segments. Try setting your goals with increments in mind and allow yourself the time needed to take baby steps towards them.

5.  Find Support

Most New Year’s resolutions become easier and more fun to achieve when you have people in your life supporting you. This could be family, friends, co-workers, a personal trainer, a naturopathic physician, or anyone else. There are often bumps on the road and it can be extremely helpful to have others in your life you can confide in and help propel you towards your goals.

 

As a naturopathic physician one of my most important jobs is to educate my patients about health so they can become empowered and make healthy choices. Many patients come to the office wanting to make healthier choices but don’t know exactly what those choices should be or how to effectively follow through with them. This is where a naturopathic doctor can really help make your life much easier and more effective. If you want to improve your health but are not sure exactly how to achieve this, I highly recommend you contact an ND and begin putting a plan together that makes sense for you.

 

In next week’s column we will investigate the top five tips for keeping your New Year’s resolutions.

 

If you have any questions for Dr. Barlow or would like to book a consultation please contact him at his office at 250-448-5610.

 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.