Happy New Year! Help Make Your 2016 Resolutions Stick
By: Brittany Bevis
The turning of the calendar page marks the beginning of a brand new year and a fresh start. It’s a time to reflect on the previous year, be thankful for our many blessings, and think about methods of self-improvement. New Year’s resolutions can focus on health (lose weight, start a new exercise regime, eat a healthier diet), relationships (go on more dates, make a commitment to your partner), and even the unusual (eat a pickle every day, stop wearing shoes).
According to The Statistic Brain Research Institute, (per a University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology study completed December 27th, 2015) the top ten resolutions this year are as follows.
#1- Lose weight
#2- Get organized
#3- Spend less, Save more
#4- Enjoy life to the fullest
#5- Stay fit and healthy
#6- Learn something exciting
#7- Quit smoking
#8- Help others in their dreams
#9- Fall in love
#10- Spend more time with family
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, resolutions are very hard to maintain. Of the 45% of Americans who usually make New Year’s resolutions and 17% who infrequently make resolutions, only 8% report success. However, research has shown that people who make specific goals are ten times more likely to achieve them than those who don’t. Interestingly, those in their twenties are predicted to have better success (39%) as opposed to those over 50 (14%).
If you’re hoping to maintain your resolution throughout the entire year, here are a few helpful tips.
#1- Focus on positive goals instead of negative ones
#2- Make a specific plan ahead of time
#3- Don’t get frustrated if you slip up
#4- Write your resolution down and keep it in a visible location
#5- Team up with a friend for encouragement
Here are a few of our readers’ New Year’s resolutions.
Ali Grusha– “This year was full of injuries, both human and horse… I’m hoping for a healthy and fun 2016 show season! My resolution is to keep myself and my horses in great shape in order to perform the best we can.”
Jason Wanderer– “Continue to learn! Albert Einstein said, ‘Once you stop learning, you start dying.’ I enjoy learning and never want to be stagnant in increasing my knowledge. Here’s to learning new thing in 2016. Happy New Year!”
Clark Rassi– “Stop eating SUGAR…..that won’t even last one week!”
Kili Crawford– “My New Year’s resolution is to create a jar to put notes of all my accomplishments and joyful memories in one place to then enjoy and be thankful for the year I was blessed with instead of focusing on what I want to change. Then, every year on New Year’s I will open the jar and read what an amazing year I had while looking forward to the new year!”
Cody Copeland– “My New Year’s resolution is to do everything I can to provide for my beautiful wife and my new daughter arriving in May 2016.”
Megan Holtmeyer- “To get down the Western Riding line!”
Vanessa Froman– “I am determined to learn how to confidently get our flying lead change this year in Horsemanship. Also, I’m going to master getting my diagonals immediately, and I’m going to complain less about doing it! My personal resolution is to pack less when we travel, which is all the time! This will make my husband super happy and will save me time.”
Trinity Packard– “My New Year’s resolution is to make the finals in all my classes at the World Show.”
Kate Peterson– “My New Year’s resolution is to start showing again! 2015 was very good to me- graduating college, getting my first ‘grown up’ job, but I really miss the show pen!”
Tammy Denlinger-Lickliter– “I’m going to try to put myself a little higher on my list of priorities in 2016.”
Tara Lombardo Anderson– “To get more exercise and eat less sweets; although, I am planning to have wedding cake!”
Martha Neff- “Get healthy. Feel better. Quit smoking cigarettes.”
