by Erik Van Tongerloo

Created on: December 24, 2008   Last Updated: September 24, 2009

Most everyone has made New Year's resolutions in the past and many of them are searching for new ones which they want to fulfill the next year. The beginning of a new year looks the perfect timing to change bad habits or to plan reaching some goals. New Year's resolutions are a tradition and are only useful if these promises are realistic and attainable.

We all make these New Year's resolutions but often we make too many of them or other people push us. That is not a good start for making New Year's resolutions and the main reasons why we break our promises. Changing bad habits and goal setting requires time and efficient planning and people often give up because the timing was not efficient.

Here are some New Year's resolutions which you shouldn't make:

* Resolutions based on having luck

It is not a good idea to make New Year's resolutions where you make promises which are based on having luck or coincidence. It is easy to make resolutions to win the lottery but nobody has an impact to reach this goal. You need the factor "luck" because nobody knows in advance which the lucky numbers are.

* Resolutions to reach a goal on a fixed date

Many people make resolutions to reach a certain goal in some exercises. This may be winning a certain competition, for example the Marathon of New York, a golden medal during the Olympic Games or any other competition. You can have the perfect condition to reach this goal but nobody can be sure to win because you can be injured during the competition or you can have a bad day.

Another possibility is you make a resolution where you plan to run a marathon within 6 months. Reaching a certain result in an exercise requires efficient training. If you are a beginner you need to start slowly and follow a schedule which is attainable without injuries. If you build up your schedule too quickly you may fail in reaching you goal and that is an important reason why you better plan your goal further in time.

* Resolutions which are not realistic

It has no sense to make resolutions to avoid eating your favorite dessert. Your goal is probably losing weight and if you make resolutions to avoid eating ice-cream; you will probably fail in your resolution and you can better set some realistic goals. It is better to limit consuming your favorite dessert and replace it by healthier alternatives. You may want to eat for example one ice-cream in two weeks instead of every day.

* Resolutions which are not important for you

When you make a New Year's resolution, you need to choose one which is important for you. If you plan to stop smoking or to lose weight; you need really to have the desire to accomplish your resolutions. Maybe someone pushed you to stop smoking or to lose weight and you make these resolutions because someone is nagging you; you won't have the courage to fulfill and feel like punished if you try to accomplish.

It is wise to keep your New Year's resolutions simple and to be realistic. Many people make the mistake of setting too high expectations and to stop if they fail the first time. You can also start again and maybe you succeed the next time. Maybe you will have some delay into reaching your goal but you can still succeed. It is a good idea to involve a friend in your resolutions; he/she will encourage accomplishing your goal. Take it easy and follow up your progress; that is the best way to accomplish your resolutions.

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