Making your New Year’s resolution stick

from APA Help Center

来做份新一年的计划清单吧

翻译自：美国心理学家协会(apa)网站

Lose weight? Check. Start exercising? Check. Stop smoking? Check.

减肥？省省吧！开始锻炼？省省吧！戒烟？省省吧！

It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s Resolutions is as long as your holiday shopping list. In addition to the post-holiday slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety. When your holiday decorations are packed up and stored away, the frustration of an unused gym membership or other reminders of failed resolutions can make the later winter months feel hopeless.

当你的新年计划清单与你的假日购物清单一样长的时候，你可能会感觉到害怕。节后综合症引起的情绪低迷，让你在2月，3月，甚至1月下旬都没有办法执行你的计划，这会更加增加你的焦虑。 当你在用于节日的装饰都被打包放起来之后，没有用过的健身卡和种种夭折的计划都会让你在冬天的最后几个月感到绝望无比。

However, it is important to remember that the New Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is a time for people to reflect on their past year’s behavior and promise to make positive lifestyle changes. “Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular, overwhelming goal on January 1 can help you reach whatever it is you strive for,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD. “Remember, it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time.”

重要的是你要明白，新一年的开始并不意味着你能够彻底的改头换面，而是反思过去一年并为新一年做出承诺和开始积极生活的开始。心理学家Lynn Bufka博士认为：“不管你怎么努力，在一年里去不断设定和完成小的、可实现的目标能够实现的程度，远远大于你在新一年开始，就去做一个庞大无比的、压倒一切的大计划。记住，重要的不是你能改变多少，而是你开始认识到改变生活方式是很重要的，并且能够朝着目标的方向一步一步地去努力。”

By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life. APA offers these tips when thinking about a News Year’s resolution:

通过你不断地把你的计划变得更加实际，你将更容易在一年中都保持去实行它们，并且将健康的行为方式纳入你的日常生活。 APA提示你，在制定新一年的计划时，要注意的要点如下：

Start small

从小事做起

Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.

制定一些你认为你能够坚持的计划，比如：你的目标是能够更多地锻炼身体，那就一周安排两到三天去健身房而不是做一个每天都去的计划。如果你想吃得更健康，试着用你喜欢的其他东西如水果或者酸奶来代替甜点，而不是把菜单安排得像是要惩罚自己一样。

Change one behavior at a time

一次改变一个行为

Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.

不良习惯的形成是日积月累的，因此用良好的行为代替不良行为也需要时间。不要茫然不知所措，并且认为自己不得不全盘否定过去自己的生活，相反的，努力去一次只改变一个行为。

Talk about it

谈论它

Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

与家人和朋友分享你的经历，为了达到你的目标，你可以考虑去加入一个与你目标一致的人组成的支持小组，比如在健身房组建一个健身小组或者是在同事中组建一个戒烟小组。当有人分享你的奋斗和成功时，将使你达成目标的旅程更加健康、更加容易、更加的无所畏惧。

Don’t beat yourself up

不要苛责自己

Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

完美是一种无法企及的境界。记得在达到你目标的过程中，发生细微的错误是很正常和OK的。不要仅仅因为你在节食过程中，吃了一个小小的布朗尼蛋糕，或者是因为太忙而一周没有去健身，你就完全放弃了。人人在执行计划的时候都会遇到挫折，下定决心从错误中改正，并且重新回到执行计划的正轨中。

Ask for support

请求支持

Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.

接受那些关心你和倾听你的人的帮助，增强你的应变能力和解决压力的能力。如果你感到不知所措或无法自己实现你的目标，请考虑寻求专业帮助。心理学研究者们是专业的研究人身体和心灵之间联系的人，他们可以提供如何调整你的目标的策略，使它们变得更加容易实现，还能帮助你改变不健康的行为和解决情绪问题。

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