Recommit to Your New Year's Resolutions

Back in the 2008, findingDulcinea teamed up with the Season Four champions of “The Biggest Loser” to announce “National Recommitment Day,” which was celebrated on the first day of spring.

Year after year, more than 2/3 of Americans abandon their New Year’s resolutions by springtime, and more than 80% fail to fulfill their resolutions by year’s end. So at the beginning of each spring, findingDulcinea asks Americans to recommit to their New Year’s resolutions.

“People who struggle to reach their goals think they are alone,” says Bill Germanakos, who lost 164 pounds, or 49% of his body weight, to win the title of “Biggest Loser” in the 2007 season of NBC’s hit reality show, “but the reality is that most people struggle to make their goals happen.”

“The hardest part of any self-improvement plan is overcoming the inevitable stumbles along the way,” said Jim Germanakos, twin brother of Bill, who lost half of his initial body weight on “The Biggest Loser,” capturing the prize for biggest weight lost among those who had been voted off the show.

“The key to success is not to give up just because you’ve had a bad week,” Jim continued, “most people, when they fail to keep their resolutions, say ‘wait till next year.’ But there are still nine months left in the year. So get started on them, again, today!”

As part of the promotion, Bill and Jim unveiled their Top 9 Tips for Recommitting to Your Resolutions:

1. Make your resolution an integral part of your life. If your resolution is to lose weight or get fit, make going to the gym as important as going to your job each day. Chasing your goals cannot be something you do only when the rest of your life allows.

2. Be realistic. If you set your goals too high, you are setting yourself up for failure. Set reasonable goals that you know you can achieve, but still require a bit of hard work and determination.

3. Set short-term goals along the way. In order to achieve a successful resolution, it may be easier if you segment it into smaller, short-term goals. If you want to lose 18 pounds in the 9 months remaining in 2017, focus on what you need to do this month to stay on track. Pondering the entire effort it will take to get to your goal may overwhelm you. Focus on what it will take to lose the next 3 pounds, and then repeat that five more times.

4. Have a detailed plan. Just saying that you want to do something doesn’t mean it will happen. Lay the groundwork to success by detailing exactly how you will reach your goals. Will you join a gym and go three times a week? Will you have money directly deposited into your savings account each paycheck? Will you cut your smoking by a pack per month for five months? The process of planning the details will help you identify obstacles ahead of time.

5. Reward yourself. When you reach a short-term or long-term goal, allow yourself a little indulgence. But make sure your reward is not counterintuitive to your end goal. If you are trying to lose weight, don’t buy yourself an ice cream cake to celebrate. Opt for something you want that helps you with your goals. Buy a pair of new running shoes if your goal is to run the marathon. Setting the reward ahead of time may give you incentive along your path to success.

6. Ask for support. Share your resolution with your friends and family, and let them know that you need their support. Having people around you that encourage you and keep you from slipping up may make all the difference.

7. Find a resolution buddy. Find a friend that has the same resolution as you so you have someone to lean on and share tips with. Having a buddy that shares the same goals and obstacles may provide a nice support system, as well as a means of kicking you back into gear when you need it most.

8. Visualize success. Picture yourself on the treadmill, running at 7 mph and not even breaking a sweat! Picture yourself buying that new home! Visualization can be a very powerful tool. Some experts suggest that the process of seeing yourself successfully achieving your goals can actually get you there faster.

9. Don’t let yourself feel defeated. Whether this is your first, third or tenth attempt at achieving this year’s resolution, don’t let yourself get down. It is natural for us to stumble along the way when working toward a goal. Just pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and tell yourself that this time you’re going to do it (because you’ve done Tips 1 through 8 this time!).

For more information on picking, sticking to and achieving your New Year’s resolutions, visit the findingDulcinea New Year’s Resolutions Web guide.