5 Tips for Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

Happy new year! At Ballroom Dance Chicago, we are all ready for the new year and excited about some goals that we have for 2013. Setting goals is easy but keeping them isn’t. To help us keep our resolutions, we have come up with a few helpful tips:

1. Start with why. If your resolution is to loose weight, ask yourself why.  Maybe you want to look younger, but more so, you want to feel better physically so that you have more energy to play with your kids. Resolutions often fail when intentions behind them are unclear. With a clear intention, you will find yourself more motivated to keep up your resolution.

2. Be realistic. Make sure your resolution is attainable. Losing 10 pounds in a week isn’t possibly (at least not healthily), but 10 pounds in two months is reasonable.

3. Create small goals. For example: I want to exercise more this year; I will start with exercising once a week for the first month, twice a week for the second month, and so on. By creating small goals and tracking your achievements along the way, the possibility of reaching your ultimate goal is much higher.

4. Write it down. Writing your resolution down on a piece of paper makes it more official.  And make sure you put it up somewhere visible so that you are reminded about it daily.

5. Don’t give up! We are human and keeping a resolution is not a linear path to success. There will be times when you hit a bump on the road. But remember, every second is a new beginning and a chance to turn things around. When you hit a bump, maybe it’s time for you to pause, revisit your “why” for your resolution and reevaluate your approach. Trust that every path you take will lead you to a place closer to your goal!

What is your resolution for 2013? How are you keeping your resolution? Please share with us!