If you're one of the millions of Americans who will make a promise to improve yourself this New Year, there's bad news: You're 92% likely to fail in sticking to your resolutions, says a recent study from the University of Scranton's Journal of Clinical Psychology.
About 45% of Americans make resolutions. Ranking at the top is losing weight, and staying fit and healthy ranks No. 5.
"Of course, those statistics represent the average - you don't have to be average!" said Dr. Virender Sodhi, founder of the Ayurvedic and Naturopathic Medical Clinic, which provides complementary and alternative medicine.
"There are plenty of things individuals can do to improve their odds of success if they resolve to become healthier and fitter."
Dr. Sodhi, author of the new guide, "Ayurvedic Herbs: The Comprehensive Resource for Ayurvedic Healing Solutions," believes we can move much closer to a world of disease-free societies by following the laws of Mother Nature. Individual commitment to health via New Year's resolutions is one path to take us there.
Dr. Sodhi offered us up five tips for staying true to your goals:
Get away from the instant-gratification mentality and avoid unrealistic goals. Don't expect to go from zero to 60 - 60 being your ideal body image - in just a few months, especially if you have little background in training.
Unfortunately, most who have resolutions like losing plenty of weight and quitting smoking are used to easy snack foods and quick rewards. Health is a long-term labor of love; commit to the love and wait for results.
Establish good habits! People make resolutions because they know they're important, but they're hard. With each passing week, more people drop their promises for self-improvement. You'll want to set the right goals; if you want to lose 100 pounds, focus on the first 10, and then the next.
Make sure to establish new and good habits - it takes about 28 days to stick. Once you train your mind with good habits, achieving your goals becomes much easier.
More tips for 2015 to come tomorrow!
