Resolutions? Meh...!

So how are the New Year's Resolutions going?

Giving up the drink or cigarettes, going to the gym or a brisk stroll around the front shore going to plan?

The problem with New Year Resolutions is that we set are expectations too high and set ourselves up for failure before we even begin.

It usually goes something like this:

I am going to go the gym everyday!

I am knocking the drink on the head completely!

No more cappuccinos for me!

That's it! Me and O'Hare's sweet wheaten are done!

I am going to walk to the summit of Slieve Martin twice a week.

The problem is that we feel we have achieved something by just saying it. We have committed to a random goal without really thinking through what is involved in seeing it through. We then feel a real sense of disappointment when we have not followed through on our resolution. The reality is that we are never going to succeed in the first place.

The resolutions above fail to truly appreciate the that we are human beings - we are creatures of habit, we all have work and family commitments and a lot of are actions are influenced by our friends and family.

We are all programmed to take the easy way out - we get the takeaway because we cannot be bothered to cook a healthier meal. It's easier to watch Making a Murderer on Netflix than to go out for a walk.

The way to make some inroads is to fix the game to win - this notion is espoused by the genious that is Tim ferriss - author of The Four Work Week, The Four Hour Body and The Four Hour Chef.

Rather than setting yourself up for failure by saying that you are going to walk for an hour every night, commit to a 5 minute walk. This is probably more realistic. By committing to and acting on this goal, you will feel a sense of achievement that might just spur you on to do more. You now start to develop a habit and because we are creatures of habit it just might stick.

This system can be applied to anything - keeping your office or living room tidy. Take small, measurable steps and you will succeed in achieving your goal.

You can go one step further by taking "blocking" initiatives to prevent temptation or falling back into bad ways. Throw out all the junk food and leftover booze to copperfasten your commitment to a healthier diet.

Use apps to block or limit your usage of Facebook and Twitter. Put your alarm clock at the other end of the room, so that you have to get up out of bed to switch it off!

Make yourself accountable to a friend, family or even social media - they will post the pics of you and your belly on Facebook if you have not made any effort to change things in the month of January!