A Twisted Look at New Year Resolutions

What do New Year Resolutions mean to you? Groans, sighs and an ‚it-cant-be done attitude ‚ probably top the list. Most of our New Year Resolutions come out of dreams we wished we had and hence, our resolutions are often flamboyant, unachievable and sometimes even whimsical. By the end of January, the enthusiasm to maintain the resolution fizzles out and the resolution remains as ‚to-be-achieved . The year of 2011 may be interesting and challenging, if the resolution has a twist to it. So, let's re-invent the New Year Resolution mantra with this ‚“6A-approach “

1. Appraise: Do an appraisal about an aspect of your life that you would like to see a change in. The change could be the addition of something interesting to your life (e.g. the yearly holiday that I wanted to do) or reducing some aspect of your life (e.g. reduce the amount of time I spent at work). Rate your expectation of yourself about this aspect and determine why you believe the change is important and what the change would make to your life.

1. A Resolution: Now reduce the desired change to a single resolution. Most resolutions fail due to their multiplicity. Make a singular clear resolution that cannot be further subdivided. For example: a common resolution is  ‚to lose weight ‚ make that singular as weight loss of _kg through diet (specify the type) by _ date.


2. Achieve: Make your resolution achievable by breaking it up into small achievable steps. Rate the feasibility factor and keep altering your resolution till you get to a desired level. Don't substitute difficulty level for feasibility. Your resolution needs to be of maximum feasibility with a moderate level of difficulty in achieving the goal.


3. Approach: After figuring out that the resolution is possible, make it approachable by figuring out how you would be able to achieve it on a monthly basis throughout the coming year. Chart out a progress sheet so that you can stay on track with the resolution.


4. Anticipate: Anticipate the roadblocks that would deter you for meeting your resolution. Look at support systems of family/friends who can cheer you on when things gets tough. Take a guess at the unexpected turns the year may take and figure out your personal motivator.


5. Acknowledge: Acknowledge the times you have reached part of your resolutions and the overall prior successes with resolutions. Reward yourself! Acknowledge also what hindered your progress in meeting past resolutions. Start afresh with the newness of the year & its resolution.

From the desk of your health manager - by Dr. Priya Pothan