As the new year approaches, it is time to look back over the past year and decide what you want to change about your life in the new year. For many people, New Years resolutions are an opportunity to make a fresh start. For others, it is the chance to learn new habits and live a healthier and happy life. No matter what your approach is to New Years resolutions, here are the top 10 New Years resolutions that many people start with at the beginning of the year.
1 - Quit Smoking
Smoking is one of the number one health problems worldwide. Smoking can lead to a multitude of health problems, including lung cancer, emphysema, high blood pressure, esophageal cancer and many others. Quitting smoking as a New Years resolution is difficult and addiction to nicotine is extremely hard to fight. But with enough dedication and assistance, you can stop smoking.
There are several methods that have proven to be effective in stopping smoking. One of the most effective tools to stop smoking is one-on-one counseling. With counseling you'll have someone with you every step of the way to quit smoking.
2 - Get Out Of Debt
Today, Americans carry an average of over $10,000 in credit card debt and this is a major New Years resolution. In order to get out of debt, review your budget and cut out the things that you really do not need. Even getting one less daily latte or expensive pair of shoes can make a difference in your budget. If you are deeply in debt, bite the bullet and consider talking to a credit counselor. They may be able to help you consolidate your credit card debts into a single payment or eliminate at least part of your debt and give you some breathing room.
3 - Get Organized
Getting organized can be easy if you are dedicated to carrying through once you get going with it. If your New Years resolution is to get organized, break it down into specifics. Decide precisely what you want to be organized about and then take steps to put it into action. For instance, if you want to be organized about paying your bills every month, mark a day on your calendar when you will pay bills and then set aside a specific place for collecting bills. Then write out your payment checks or log online and make your payments. If you make this into a habit, then it becomes second nature to do it automatically every week or monthly.
4 - Spend More Time With Family & Friends
If your New Years resolution is to spend more time with your family and friends, then you need to set aside time to make it happen. One way to accomplish this is to have one night a week that is for social events. Call your friends and make a date for dinner or to go to the movies. Family night is another great way to spend time with your family. Spending time with friends and family is important because it fosters close relationships and trust. For kids, especially, spending time together can be emotionally healthy and help them develop into healthy adults.
5 - Get In Shape
Getting in shape is a big commitment. Most Americans are overweight and losing even a few pounds and keeping them off can be a challenge for a New Years resolution. If you are out of shape, start slowly and talk to your doctor to discuss any health problems you might have to take into consideration when making a workout plan.
You can take small walks every day and get a good amount of moderate exercise. Instead of parking as close to the mall as possible, park a little farther out and walk the extra steps to go shopping. spaced throughout the day, exercise can be easily integrated into your life.
Also make simple changes to your eating habits to get into shape. Instead of eating ice cream for dessert, choose a dish of fresh fruit. Instead of eating that burger for a quick lunch, choose a healthy salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Even doing this just a few days a week can make a big difference to your waistline.
6 - Help Others
One of the most popular New Years resolutions is to help others. Helping others can be accomplished in a number of ways. If you are active in your church, consider participating in charitable activities, like visiting residents in elderly care or nursing homes. You can also volunteer time in programs to teach adults to read or become a supportive adult to a child. Helping others can be as simple as being kind to the people around you and being willing to lend a comforting shoulder to someone in need.
7 - Learn Something New
Learning something new is one of the most popular New Years resolutions. Think about something that you have always wanted to know and take a shot at it. If you have always wanted to learn Italian, enroll in a language course online or at your local community college. Take an art appreciation course or start reading a non-fiction book on a topic of interest. If you take the attitude that you can always learn something new, then you will grow as a person.
8 - Travel to New Places
Travel is always exciting and is one of the very common New Years resolutions. Choose a place to travel where you have never been and begin to plan your trip. If you do not have someone special to go with you, then try investigating companion travel programs. Be adventurous and throw a dart at a map and go where ever the dart lands on the map.
9 - Enjoy Life More
Enjoying life more is among the top New Years resolutions. Enjoying life is about attitude. If you have a positive attitude and make the best of every situation you are presenting with in life, you will find yourself happier and more content, even through the difficult times. Enjoying life is a great goal to have for the new year.
10 - Go to School
In today's economy, people are often looking for ways to reinvent themselves. Going to school is one of the top New Years resolutions as a way to start a new career or develop new skills. Even if you goal is simply to learn about a new topic, going to school is a great way to develop new friends and engage yourself.
Most people who create New Years resolutions unfortunately fail as a result of a number of factors. These factors include creating too many New Years resolutions, not writing down your New Years resolutions, not having a support group and keeping your New Years resolutions to yourself.
How Do I Stick to My New Years Resolutions?
The secret to sticking to your New Years resolutions is to start immediately so when New Years day comes you'll be well and truly on your way to accomplishing your goals. Get your pen and paper out and write up a top 10 list of New Years resolutions for 2012 and check out http://www.johngrahambaines.com for more helpful tips and tricks on how to lose weight and transform your body by next summer, how to make money online, how to travel overseas cheaply and a whole host of useful information you need to know to help you transform your life for the better for 2012.
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