New Year resolutions: Make smaller goals for higher chance of success

After the holidays, many people are getting ready to make promises they made for themselves this year a reality. But out of the many resolutions, one study says only 8 percent are kept. Whether it’s losing weight or changing habits, many people go into 2017 looking to make major shifts. “My New Year’s resolution is to be more active,” Linda Burnborfer said. “To have more balance,” Jony Bernstein said. “To stop drinking for January,” Nancy Power said. While some people make fitness goals they would like to reach, “They get overwhelmed. They really want to change but they really don’t know how,” Body Syndicate owner and personal trainer Robert Hatch said. Hatch said people who try to go full force from the start, usually burn out. “January, February, they are really hardcore. March, it starts to dwindle and by April they completely forget about the resolution,” Hatch said. But it’s not just about people hitting the gym. In 2015, some of the top 10 resolutions included to quit smoking, spend less, save more, fall in love and to live life to the fullest. One life coach said promising to make a major change is more than likely set to fail if the smaller steps aren’t planned out. “It’s better to make short term resolutions rather than long term resolutions. If you make long term resolutions, they are more likely to go to the wayside,” Life Coach Jaime Carlo Casellas said. Casellas said it’s best to start small — if you want to lose weight, make it a goal to get to the gym a couple times a week; if you want to quit smoking, make it a goal to cut down how much you smoke. He said everything is possible when expectations are set to be achieved.