You CAN be successful with your New Year’s Resolutions!

The New Year is here again, and you’ve got some goals in mind. Maybe you want to lose a few pounds, or read some of the classic novels, or be a more patient driver.

Believe us, as dentists serving southern Ocean County, NJ, we know many of our patients have big goals for the year ahead!

Whatever you goals, remember the following and you’ll be well prepared to ensure those New Year’s Resolutions are not mere hot air:

1. Keep Track Of Your Successes – If you’ve resolved to read 12 classic novels this year, post about your progress to Facebook. If you want to get more exercise, keep a log of your daily progress. If you are trying to lose weight, take weekly pictures to track how you’re doing.

2. Allow Yourself To Celebrate Achievements – The road towards your final goal may be a difficult one, so don’t be shy about patting yourself on the back now and then. Rewards for meeting key milestones – losing you first five pounds, running a mile for the first time, going three months without alcohol, etc. – are well-earned. Give yourself a day off from work, go shopping, or some other reward that won’t set you back.

3. Be Ready To Reassess – Making big changes in your life is a noble goal, but big changes often come with roadblocks you may not have foreseen. That’s okay. Be prepared to periodically reassess your goals and to adjust them as necessary. That’s not failure, it’s simply being smart and realistic.

4. Put Something Of Value On The Line – Loss can be a great motivator. Consider making a friendly wager that you can meet your goals, or use a site like stickK.com, a site set up by behavioral analysts through which you can forfeit a chosen amount of money if you don’t succeed. Quite a motivator!

5. Let Others Do The Work For You – With some goals, it’s possible to automate the process and/or let others do the heavy lifting for you. Saving money, for instance. If you want to save more, arrange for your employer to direct deposit a specific amount from each paycheck into a side account. Opt for the bank not to send you monthly statements on that account, and do not accept a bank card. Before you know it, you’ll be building savings with no effort at all.

6. Mix And Match For Better Success – If you hate exercise but love music, use your exercise time to catch up on music you may have missed. If you want to eat better and love to eat out, start eating at restaurants that specialize in healthy food. If you want to read more but have a hard time staying focused, take a book with you to the gym and use that time for reading. The combinations are endless, and they can help you meet your goals.

But the most important thing to remember is both the simplest and the most difficult: Be positive. As dentists serving Manahawkin and the surrounding area, we know it works!

Good luck!