17 New Year's Resolutions you have a shot at keeping in 2016
Creating New Year's resolutions offers a chance to improve yourself. Whether it's losing weight, saving money or quitting smoking, baby steps can help you succeed.
Leigh Weingus, an editor with EliteDaily.com, offers 17 resolutions that won't have you frustrated after week one and could help you reach your larger goals for the year ahead.
Do yoga once a week.
Whether it’s a 30-minute YouTube video or an hour-long class at your local studio, getting your downward dog on isn’t too much to ask when it comes to taking care of your mind, body and soul.
Wake up 15 minutes earlier.
It’s 15 minutes, not two hours. And it can make a huge difference in your morning routine.
Pack your lunch twice a week.
We know the salad joint near your office is healthy and delicious, but it’s costing you ten bucks every day. Making your salad at home twice a week isn’t much work, and it’s a lot less expensive.
Hold a plank for one minute, three days a week.
Plank pose does wonders for your core, back and overall strength. It’s tough, but it’s three minutes in your entire week. You’ve got this!
Skip one restaurant outing a week.
If you’re in the habit of dining out four nights a week, cut it down to three. You’ll save yourself calories and money.
Download a meditation app.
So meditating for two hours a day wasn’t realistic, but downloading a free meditation app is. A lot of the apps out there have options for meditating for a few minutes at a time — and you can handle that.
Escort electronics out of your bedroom an hour before bedtime.
Bring a book in instead. Trust us, you’ll sleep a lot better.
Get a latte twice a week instead of every day.
That thing is costing you like $4.25, right? Brewing your coffee at home most days will leave a nice chunk of change in your pocket by the end of the year.
Take a 20-minute walk every day.
It’s not running a marathon, and it’ll get you moving and make you happier. Maybe it means watching one less episode of “Friends” on Netflix every night, Rachel and Joey will understand.
Pick five things that scare you and do all of them.
The saying “do one thing every day that scares you” is pretty overwhelming. Try picking five things that scare you and set out to accomplish them throughout the year, whether it’s trying out a dating app or going skydiving.
Carve out a “power hour” every week.
You know those nagging tasks that never seem to get done, like cleaning out your junk drawer or sweeping the floor? Carve out an hour every week to tackle them. You’ll get a lot done and won’t have to worry about them for the rest of the week.
Dedicate two hours every week to YOU.
And no, scrolling through your Instagram feed doesn’t count. Spend two hours every week doing something you truly love, whether it’s painting, reading a book or going for a long run. No technology allowed.
Finish something you started in 2015.
Maybe you half-started a blog in 2015 but never got around to finishing it. You have a head start, so make sure it actually gets done this year.
Make a phone call every week to someone you love.
Connections with others make us happy, and it can be hard to keep in touch with your best friend who lives across the country or your grandma who has a hard time hearing. So every week, make a call to someone you love. It’ll make you (and the person you’re calling) super happy.
Just eliminate one “bad” thing.
Don’t swear off sugar, salt and alcohol. It’ll be so damn hard you’ll give up immediately. Instead, pick one thing.
If you’ve noticed you have a bad habit of eating a bag of chips every day after work, just give that up. You may be surprised by what a difference it makes.
Start wearing sunscreen.
We know, a tan is nice. But skin cancer and wrinkles are not. Wear sunscreen this year!
Incorporate a little more water into your day.
You don’t need to start downing 16 glasses a day. Maybe just start drinking a cup of tea or a glass of water when you wake up. Hydrate, people.
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2016.
Making and Keeping New Year’s Resolutions
Originally posted by Elizabeth Halkos on https://www.purchasingpower.com
It’s a new year, and for millions of Americans that means New Year’s resolutions are in order. Many of us will promise to exercise more and eat less to lose weight in 2014. Some of us will set income or sales goals, and some will set goals for what they want to buy this year. Some goals may be to spend more time with friends and family, or even to take long-needed vacations.
Every year it seems we’re excitedly setting our New Year’s resolutions, but by mid-February, those promises are out the window. Why can’t most of us stick to those resolutions? Psychiatrist Sarah Vinson, MD, says many people quit in the first few weeks because they don’t see results. The best method, she says, is to break the resolution down into manageable goals.
Dr. Vinson said people should do three things when making a resolution:
1. Set manageable goals. Instead of saying “I will lose 50 pounds this year,” make a promise to work out twice weekly and have the goal of losing five pounds in a month.
2. Have an accountability partner to help you stay on track. Find someone with similar goals and tackle them together.
3. Determine the factors that prevented success in the first place. Think about what got in the way of you accomplishing the goal in the past, and fix it. For instance, if you plan to work out every morning, but can’t get up, try going to bed an hour earlier the night before.
Here’s to a prosperous New Year for all of us – and achieving our resolutions!
Bosses: Here are 7 New Year’s resolutions to help retain your talent
Originally posted on December 16, 2013 by Tim Loh on https://blog.ctnews.com
Each year, employees make career-related New Year’s resolutions much more frequently than their bosses — but their top resolution is to find a new job, according to Danbury’s OI Partners-Cunis & Gontin, a coaching and leadership development consulting firm.
And so, Cunis & Gontin has put together a list of New Year’s resolutions for bosses that should help them retain their top talent.
“If more managers resolved to develop their employees’ leadership skills, invite their input, demonstrate continued interest in their careers and recognize their contributions, fewer workers would be determining to find new jobs each year,” said Mary Ann Gontin, Managing Partner with OI Partners-Cunis & Gontin.
Retaining talented employees has become a higher priority in an improving job market, the firm said, as more than three-fourths of employers worry about losing key employees, according to a survey by OI Partners.
Here are the top seven resolutions managers can make to help retain talent:
1. Coach workers in how to become more influential and persuasive. “Explain the implications of their actions and decisions on internal politics and help them become savvier. Provide training and guidance in how to craft their messages to meet the needs of others. Managers are too often frustrated by employees’ inability to work effectively through others. Teach them how to win over people in appropriate ways,” said Gontin.
2. Develop employees’ leadership skills. “Use challenging ‘stretch assignments’ that motivate workers, require them to learn new skills and build coalitions. Look for opportunities where members of your team can step into leadership roles. That may mean you have to be in the background more and become comfortable with sharing the spotlight,” said Gontin.
3. Improve your feedback and increase their accountability. Most managers are inconsistent in communicating expectations and holding people accountable. Be clear about your expectations and give timely feedback to your team when they do a good job or miss the mark.
4. Tap into employees’ wealth of knowledge and experience. Encourage employees at all levels to suggest, create and communicate new ideas based on the direct experience of those on the line. Personally ask people for their input to get the best recommendations.
5. Demonstrate continued interest in employees’ careers. Reassure employees that they are appreciated for the work they’re doing. Increase the frequency of discussions about their careers and one-on-one meetings with their managers.
6. Recognize and reward contributions. Managers should be certain they recognize employee contributions, both big and small. A compliment from the boss can be as effective as a monetary reward. Many employees feel that their managers do not spend enough time thanking them for a job well done, but are too quick to criticize them for making mistakes.
7. Build teamwork and provide developmental coaching to workers.
Look for ways to partner employees on projects and concentrate on assembling compatible teams. Include ground rules on how they should work together, check in with them periodically throughout the assignment and facilitate a discussion on what’s working and what’s not. Coordinate a debriefing at the end of the project for overall feedback and lessons learned. Developmental coaching sharpens employees’ leadership skills and helps retain the most talented workers.