Answer of the Day: Being Specific and Going Public

This morning on Good Morning America, Hoda and Carson Daly interviewed a life coach on ways to help people make their resolutions stick. Two suggestions the life coach gave were to make your goals as specific as possible, for example: I will eat a healthy breakfast 6 days a week, or I will walk 20 minutes each morning before work. Apparently researchers found that the more specific peoples' goals were (and presumably more measurable) the more they were inclined to make them happen.

That is the easy one.

1. I will walk at least 20 minutes each day before dark. I will do yoga/stretching for 20 minutes before bedtime.

2. I will cut out refined sugars in January. Then each month after that I will cut out an additional simple carb: i.e. Bread, pasta, dairy for the next 3 months.

3. I will spend 2 hours per week writing and reading for pleasure.

4. I will make time once a week and once on the weekend to do something fun: drinks with friends, going on a walk to take photos, doing a DIY project from Pinterest, planning a trip, taking a class or anything else that helps me relax and feel happy!

5. I will spend time each Sunday morning strengthening my relationships with family and friends by writing letters, using FaceTime  or calling.

The next one brings up all of the issues about which I have shoved down all my shame... Going public.

This doesn't necessarily require a full page ad in the local newspaper but it does require that I tell some, many, most of the people in my life about my efforts. So it's time to let all my friends and family know so that I will be more accountable.