How to Create and Keep New Years Resolutions

It seems like people make the same resolutions year after year, doesn't it? Here are some of the most popular New Year's Resolutions, according to USA.gov.

1. Spend more time with family and friends


2. Lose weight


3. Get out of debt


4. Get organized


5. Save money


6. Quit smoking


7. Drink less alcohol


8. Learn something new


9. Reduce Stress


10. Help others (volunteer)

Any of these sound familiar? I know I've got several of these on my list this year :)

Did you know that most New Year's resolutions are broken before the end of January? Why is it so difficult to keep your resolutions? Is it because we set goals that are too big, or do we just not put the effort into keeping our resolutions?

Resolutions can be very powerful and life changing, but only if we keep them! Here are some tips to help you keep your resolutions in 2012:

• Be accountable. Tell someone (or several people) what your resolutions are. The more people you tell, the more support you'll have to reach your goal.


• Set realistic and achievable goals. If your goal is to lose weight, then losing 50 lbs in one month is obviously not realistic. You need to determine what a reasonable goal would be when creating your resolution.


• Create measurable goals. Resolutions that can't be measured will be broken first. If you want to lose weight, define how much weight you want to lose, and in what time period. If you want to pay off debt, figure out how much debt you want to pay off in what time period, etc. If you have measurable goals, you can see how you're progressing and you'll be more motivated to keep them.


• Write your goals down. Something about writing goals down (vs. just verbalizing them) makes them more real. It's also much easier to track your progress if you have your goals written down. A great tip is to keep a journal and track your progress in your journal each day, week or month until you have reached your goal.


• Build rewards into your resolution. This is a great tip for people who are trying to get out of debt, because it can be so discouraging to sock all of your money towards credit card debt and not see any rewards from it. If you build a reward into your plan (such as buying yourself a small gift when you've paid off so much debt), you'll be more motivated, and much more likely to achieve your goal.


• Pick one or two resolutions to focus on instead of having several resolutions. If you have too many resolutions you'll be spread too thin and you won't achieve any of them. Do a brain dump then pick one or two that are the most important to you to focus on in 2009. If you achieve your first two resolutions, you can always go back and set more later in the year!


• Don't beat yourself up if you get off track. Many resolutions take time to implement and we all get off track from time to time. The best thing to do if you do slip up is to start over. There's no rule that says you have to achieve your goal on the first try or by a certain time. Take one day at a time and keep trying if you get off track.

This lens was getting a little too serious, so I decided to add some funny new years resolutions from the web:

• I will no longer waste my time reliving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.


• I will give up chocolates totally. 100%. Completely. Honest....


• I will try to figure out why I *really* need nine e-mail addresses.


• I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm with which I answer my e-mail.


• When I hear a funny joke I will not reply, "LOL" ...LOL!


• I will balance my checkbook. (on my nose).


• I will think of a password for my computer other than "password."


• I will read less books. A little learning is a dangerous thing. Too much of it can really wreck your head.

New Year's is a unique holiday. It's the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we tend to become introspective. Then we wonder: how did time get away from us? And why did all our hopes and dreams never materialized?

Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making Resolutions.

We all do it. We swear to ourselves, "This is THE year" for transforming our lives and fulfilling our goals. We are determined to keep all the promises to lose weight, stop smoking, make more money, be more patient...just fill in the blanks.

Over the next few days millions of people from around the world will ask themselves questions as they figure out how to make 2012 the best year of their lives.

The following is a creative exercise for you to think about how to surpass your potential in the New Year.

In 2012, I'm finally going to__________________________!

How would YOU fill in that blank?

Now fast-forward to December 31st - New Years Eve, 2011. You're reflecting on the past year, jotting down a few notes in your journal.

"I've got a lot to be thankful for this year...

I reduced my credit card debt by $______________________________.

I feel great and now fit into my________________________________.

I have increased my retirement fund by $________________________.

I have achieved a number of goals to include____________________.

I have exceeded my own expectations by__________________________.

I've got nearly enough money saved for a nice family vacation in
______________________.

So, what did YOU write down? What are your aspirations for the coming year?

Are you ready to make 2012 the best year EVER?

Well, this doesn't have to be just a fun little exercise. It can be something much better...

If the idea of erasing your debt, making more income, doing something good for those in your community or finally making lasting changes this year sounds good to you, then I'd like to introduce you to the "Got Resolutions?" Program.

"Got Resolutions?" is a personal leadership program that provides a step-by-step system for setting and achieving your New Year's Resolutions.

If focus, discipline, and accountability were among the things that prevented you from achieving your resolutions in the past, then "Got Resolutions?" is for YOU!

In fact, here's what Best-Selling Author Brian Tracy has to say:

"Got Resolutions? is a serious program for serious people, who want to make serious and immediate change in their lives. There is no better way to start the New Year, and Gary Ryan Blair will show you how to finally turn your Resolutions into reality!"

On New Year's Eve, 2010, did you set some Goals and Resolutions?

Did you make promises to yourself, but soon discovered that none of your Resolutions were even met?

Right now you have the opportunity to create history rather than repeat it. How about actively fulfilling your Resolutions this year? How about surprising yourself by actually following through?

As you reflect on your future life in 2012, would you like to see yourself begin the year fast, focused, and positive? Are you going to keep ALL your promises to yourself?

ALL you have to do is say YES, I'm ready to turn my Resolutions into reality.

Are you ready for a thrilling, positive change in your life?

It's easy to get started right away. Visit GotResolutions.com and turn your Resolutions into reality!

Happy New Year!

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new.

The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.

Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

With New Year's upon us, here's a look at some of the good luck rituals from around the world. They are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the coming year.

AUSTRIA - The suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the new year. It's served on a table decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert often consists of green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover.

ENGLAND - The British place their fortunes for the coming year in the hands of their first guest. They believe the first visitor of each year should be male and bearing gifts. Traditional gifts are coal for the fire, a loaf for the table and a drink for the master. For good luck, the guest should enter through the front door and leave through the back. Guests who are empty-handed or unwanted are not allowed to enter first.

WALES - At the first toll of midnight, the back door is opened and then shut to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck.

HAITI - In Haiti, New Year's Day is a sign of the year to come. Haitians wear new clothing and exchange gifts in the hope that it will bode well for the new year.

SICILY - An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year's Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.

SPAIN - In Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, the Spanish eat 12 grapes, one with every toll, to bring good luck for the 12 months ahead.

PERU - The Peruvian New Year's custom is a spin on the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at the turn of the year. But in Peru, a 13th grape must be eaten to assure good luck.

GREECE - A special New Year's bread is baked with a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.

JAPAN - The Japanese decorate their homes in tribute to lucky gods. One tradition, kadomatsu, consists of a pine branch symbolizing longevity, a bamboo stalk symbolizing prosperity, and a plum blossom showing nobility.

CHINA - For the Chinese New Year, every front door is adorned with a fresh coat of red paint, red being a symbol of good luck and happiness. Although the whole family prepares a feast for the New Year, all knives are put away for 24 hours to keep anyone from cutting themselves, which is thought to cut the family's good luck for the next year.

UNITED STATES - The kiss shared at the stroke of midnight in the United States is derived from masked balls that have been common throughout history. As tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification into the new year.

NORWAY - Norwegians make rice pudding at New Year's and hide one whole almond within. Guaranteed wealth goes to the person whose serving holds the lucky almond.
---------------------------------------------
Gary Ryan Blair is the inspiration behind New Years Resolutions Week

New Years Resolutions Week was founded on the premise, that a single resolution can positively and profoundly create lasting change in your life and help to make the world a better place. To learn more, visit http://goalsguy.com/Events/index.html

Gary can be reached for media requests, television or radio appearances and speaking services at 877-462-5748 or by sending an email to Gary@GoalsGuy.com