How To Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Most of us see our kids every single day. And when we look at them, we notice if their hair is combed, their teeth are brushed and their faces are washed. However recently, when I looked at my 11-year-old son, it was not his hair, teeth or face that struck me. It was the length of his legs. ...Most of us see our kids every single day. And when we look at them, we notice if their hair is combed, their teeth are brushed and their faces are washed. However recently, when I looked at my 11-year-old son, it was not his hair, teeth or face that struck me. It was the length of his legs.

This may seem like an odd thing to notice but a good friend of mine recently welcomed twin nieces into her family so baby talk is rampant between us. It made me remember my son when he was born all of 21 inches long. And then faster than I could change a diaper, I found myself staring down a 5 foot 3 inch boy and wondering when this happened?

Although it seems like just yesterday, in reality, my son did not grow to be 5 feet 3 inches tall overnight. He grew 42 inches (5 feet 3 or 60 inches less 21 inches) over 11 years. That equates to approximately 4 inches per year or .33 inches per month. The math proves he grew a small amount consistently over time.

That's because nature doesn't rush.

It demonstrates that to us from the very start. New life doesn't begin overnight. It gestates over time. It grows and changes until it's ready to be.

Seasons do not change monthly. They change quarterly, slowly over time. A new season does not just appear like a rabbit out of a magician's hat. One morphs into the other. The new season becomes with one small change after another.

People do not wake up old. We grow old, slowly over the years.

I learned a lesson, that day I noticed my son's long legs. In that moment it became abundantly clear to me why most New Year's resolutions fail.

Nature, and therefore our natural state of being, was intended to change slowly over time.

Yet on New Year's Eve, many of us make resolutions to change many significant aspects of our lives all by -----tomorrow. Is it any wonder that those changes are doomed for failure?

To be successful we must make those changes in a way that works WITH nature, rather than against it.

If you want to lose weight, don't resolve to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks. Instead, resolve to replace the regular soft drinks you may drink with diet soft drinks. Resolve to stop eating after 7:00 PM. Resolve to reduce the number of cookies you consume in a day---don't cut them out, reduce them. Resolve to continue eating the way you always have been but resolve to reduce the QUANTITY you eat. Consume HALF your burger, HALF your fries, and HALF your shake.

If you want to start an exercise program, do not resolve to go to the gym every day. Resolve to go 3 days a week. Resolve to start walking, even if it's only around the block. Resolve to park farther away from store entrances. Resolve to take 2 flights of stairs before you push that elevator button.

If you want to reduce your debt, do not resolve to live like a pauper until it's paid off. Resolve to give up half the Starbucks coffee you buy each week and save approximately $520 a year. Resolve to eat out half as much as you normally do and save anywhere between $2,000-$5,000 per year. Resolve to cancel subscriptions to magazines you never can get around to reading anyway. Resolve to downsize your cable service from extra premium to basic. Resolve to rent fewer movies. Resolve to drink less soda and more water.

Resolve to make very small, slow changes, over time. And once those small, slow changes become part of your lifestyle, resolve to make some more.

Then, keep repeating until you finally reach your goals. You may not lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks or even 2 months. You may not become an Olympic runner by June. You may not get those credit cards paid off before the year is over. But you WILL lose weight; you WILL make exercise part of your lifestyle and you WILL pay off your credit cards.

You WILL do it all by working with nature---making changes slowly and over time. Forget the rush. Enjoy the journey and don't forget to stop and smell the roses along the way…