Resolutions, Not Just for the New Year Anymore! by Ami Brown, M.Ed.

It is February, where do you stand with your New Year's Resolutions? Are you still on the New Year high or have you fizzled back to old habits? I hope that you are still going strong, but if you are not don't wait till the New Year to start again. Think of each day as a fresh start. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote "Finish every day & be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders & absurdities crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely & with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." The word resolution has many definitions. But according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, some of the definitions are the act or process of resolving, the act of determining, and firmness of resolve. Resolution is a big word meaning that you have decided that you want to do something. Here are some tips for setting and sticking to your "Anytime/All the Time Resolutions".

•Only resolve to change one thing at a time. Once you have mastered that, then move on to something new.

•Set specific, measureable, action-oriented, REALISTIC, and timed (aka "SMART") resolutions. Saying I want to exercise more is nice, but it needs to be concrete. "I will exercise 3 times a week for 20 minutes till June" is concrete.

•Put your resolutions in writing and post it somewhere you can see it. You can even program it in your phone or electronic calendar.

•Talk with people about your resolutions. Nothing makes you more accountable than others watchful eyes.

•Make plans for overcoming barriers. We all know that life is not perfect, so we always need a back-up plan even with our resolutions.

•Lastly, don't let slip ups take you completely off track. Health is not an all or nothing idea. It is about balance. So, when you slip up and skip a workout or eat a donut remember Emerson's quote.

Ami Brown is a representative of the YWCA Greater Cincinnati Fitness Center.  Learn more.