Amazing Rainbow

Do you make new year resolutions every year only to find that they have fallen by the wayside before the end of January? Well, you're not alone.

Most resolutions don't last past the end of January. But if you understand why this is the case, then you are much better positioned to make successful new year resolutions.

One of the main reasons new year resolutions are broken is that we make too many of them at once. It's easy to reflect on all the changes we want to make to our lives – lose weight, get fit, stop smoking, get on top of your finances – but trying to tackle all these at once is just too much.

So, the first step in keeping resolutions is to do them one at a time.

The other reason new years resolutions aren't kept is because we sabotage our attempts with excuses. Here are the top 5:

Excuse 1. I don't have the time.
Sure you do. You probably have time to watch TV, or play on the computer for hours each night, and for many hours over the weekend. Just take half an hour each morning or night and a couple hours over the weekend and you'll be surprised by how much you can achieve. The first step is always the hardest, but once you do take that first step and start to gain momentum, amazing things can happen.

Excuse 2. It's too much effort
This is your life we're talking about. Is it really too much work to achieve the life you really want? Sure, it may be hard going to get started and it may be a long road to success. But just remember that it is always worth it in the end.

I was talking to a friend of mine who has been overweight since college, and he was whining that it would take him a whole year to lose the pounds he wanted to. But what is one year, when he still has another 20-30 years of prime life left in him?

Excuse 3. It doesn't work
What ever system you're looking at for losing weight, getting fit, quitting smoking, getting rich, or whatever – it is possible. There are plenty of living examples of people who have succeeded in whatever goal you're trying to reach for yourself. Diets work, exercise works, quitting smoking programs work.

It can be done. But you have to be willing to make it work.

Excuse 4. But it won't work for ME
And why are you any different from the thousands of other people who have achieved whatever goal you're trying to reach? With an attitude like that, nothing will work. But you have to be willing to make it work.

Excuse 5. I don't have the resources
Yes, this can be an obstacle if you have difficulty accessing the appropriate resources, particularly if you need a lot of money to achieve your goal. But for most goals, you don't need a lot of money to get started.

For example, a healthy diet and exercise program shouldn't cost you a cent more than you're already spending on grocery bills, and even though you may have to purchase nicotine patches to help quit your smoking habit, this will be offset by how much you are saving on cigarettes.

The most important resource you need to achieve your goals is information. And there is a lot of educational material out there to help you achieve almost any goal you set your mind on.

The internet is a great source of reliable information. Research, read up on the various strategies and draw up an action plan that suits you. You can also check out books in your library or buy used books.

And remember, take your goals one at a time, and eventually you will succeed with them all.