New Year's Resolution

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year! As we welcome in 2017, are you aware that the idea of New Year’s resolutions can be traced back some 4,000 years? Babylonians would make promises to their gods at the beginning of each year to return borrowed objects to and pay off their debts.  Today we try to make those promises to ourselves and hope that we will be able to hold ourselves accountable for whatever that goal may be. 

I think it’s safe to say that for many, one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, year over year, is to spend less and save more.  Seems simple enough yet it is well known, that unfortunately the overwhelming majority of resolutions fail each year.  One way to avoid the dreaded failure: think SIMPLE and SMALL!  Rome wasn’t built in a day and the best way to accomplish any goal is to attack the changes needed in small steps.

If saving more is a wish, think about the ultimate goal that you would like to start saving towards each month and start off with 25% of that number.  After a few months of comfort, increase it by another 25%.  Continue until you are comfortably able to reach your monthly saving amount.  You will be much more inclined to continue saving well past that point if you get there slow and steady. 

The same could be said for the opposite if spending less is your primary goal.  Do not, I repeat DO NOT, try and cut that daily Dunkin Donuts run cold turkey!  Maybe you start by going one day less a week, or every other day for the first few weeks.  As time goes on, keep reducing visits until you have reached your goal without even realizing it. 

Regardless of what habit you are trying to form, or vice you are trying to break, thinking small thoughts can often times lead to the big picture!