So did you make any resolutions for 2010? Many of us will start the New Year with very sincere and lofty goals. Why is it that so many are broken by the third week of January? I personally believe resolutions set us up for failure. If we really want to make changes, we do it. Saying “I will eat like crazy and start my diet on Jan 1” never works. You have affirmed that you actually don’t want to make a change because eating like crazy is what you really want to do. This leads me to the two biggest resolutions made every year ….losing weight and exercising more. I think the worst four letter word in the English language is DIET! This is a word that should be removed from everyone’s vocabulary. It represents depravation and what you have to give up. It is something you do for a finite amount of time and once you’ve reached your goal, its over. That is why after you lose that twenty, fifty or even a hundred pounds it comes back. Working towards a goal is good but when something is so dreaded it is very hard to stick to.

If you know you need to make a change in any area of your life maybe a better way to approach it is thinking about how the change will positively affect your life. Before you change something really think about why you want to do it and what it will mean to achieve this goal. Think about what it will add to your life instead of what it will take away. For instance if you are overweight, eating less and exercising more will add years to your life to spend with family and friends. How about saying this affirmation each day “ today I will work towards living a healthier life” or think about how great you will feel and look in that new outfit. Keep in mind issues such as your health should never wait. If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a high stress life, the extra eating at the holidays can have serious consequences so please do not gamble with your health.

In addition, take changes one day at a time, otherwise they become overwhelming. It takes about ninety days to break a habit so be patient with yourself. Also try starting each day practicing gratitude for all the wonderful things in your life at this moment. Even if times are difficult we all have someone and something to be grateful for. If there is something that is negatively affecting your health that you have not addressed, begin by asking yourself why you continue a pattern of behavior that is damaging. Love yourself enough not to hurt yourself. Don’t mistake this for narcissism. It is simply compassion and self preservation. It’s much easier to achieve any goal when you love and care for yourself. Women especially can nurture everyone all day, all year, year after year but they are not always good at nurturing themselves. If your physical and emotional bank accounts are empty, who can YOU borrow from? Also – never be ashamed to get therapy from a professional if you need it.

Remember – the joy of life is in the journey so don't miss out on it by focusing too much on the destination. Enjoy each moment!