Every year we promise ourselves to do something - quit smoking, grow thin or call mother more often. This may happen not necessarily in January, but, as a rule, right in the first month of a new year, it occurs to us to change ourselves and our life for the better finally.

Some grown up and rather wise women even write their promises on paper, burn the paper and swallow it drinking champagne, while the striking of a clock. And they do this not because they are na??ve, but because the beginning of a year is quite time to throw overboard the old and unnecessary, and finally fulfill the things we’ve been dreaming for a long, but couldn’t bring ourselves to make the first step to the goal. We promise ourselves earnestly to come to our senses. And for some time we’re really trying as hard as we can. Everyday we do morning exercises, throw cigarettes to a dust bin and smile to an ugly neighbor kindheartedly. However, very soon, good intentions come to naught and we again live our old way. It seems like somebody prevents us from realizing our plans purposely.

3 STEPS FORWARD AND NONE STEP BACK
You need to divide the realization of your plans in 3 stages:

1. Very often good intentions break down, because you require too much from yourself. When you pose 2 dozens of problems in front of you at once, you’ll get scattered, and, most likely, will do realize of them. Choose 3 most important directions for you for 3 nearest months. And every day make although one small step towards your success. At the end of the week, organize an impartial exam for yourself: how much have you moved ahead to your goal?
2. Think about the way to prevent the realization of your global plans from becoming a part of your everyday routine. If you promised to study French for the year, find 15 minutes per day to learn 5 new words. Moreover, it’s very useful to make a list of things to do in the beginning of a day. Then choose the main points in this list and concentrate on them.
3. May be, you feel you can roll up the mountains. It’s a great mood that, undoubtedly, will help you to achieve a lot in life. But don’t forget you’re a human being, not a machine, and you cannot seize the unbounded. So, don’t try to burden yourself with impossible amount of things to do, no matter how important they could seem prima facie. Estimate your possibilities objectively and delay the things you cannot do now. Otherwise, a weight of everyday small problems will prevent you from realization of most important ones.

WHAT PREVENTS YOU FROM REALIZATION OF YOUR PLANS?
Lack of small pleasures
When a person is in good mood, his heart, liver and lungs work better. Happy people fall ill lesser, than unhappy ones, as, when you’re content, your organism produces more antibodies that struggle with the infection. The result: when you feel good, your immunity rises. The more small pleasures you have in life, the more power you get for great fulfillments. Of course, everyone has his own pleasures.
Somebody is happy because of chocolate and champagne, somebody - because of spare 30 minutes spent with family, somebody - because of walk in a snow-covered forest. We don’t urge you to forget about working days and turn your life into constant pleasure: if you have too many pleasant emotions, pleasure is reduced. You should have everything in harmony - both work and rest.

Sense of guilt
You’re running round in small circles, trying to do everything. Work, home, lessons with children, and there’re also your loved husband’s shirts to be ironed??¦ You’re tired, but you cannot get rest before you complete all home matters: a sacramental question: “What will my husband dress on work tomorrow?” - you cannot put out this thought of your head. And even after doing everything in house, many women feel guilty. It’s always possible to find something to do instead of reading a book. Your own pleasure turns into something forbidden and shameful. You deny yourself small pleasures of life, and very often good intentions break down because of this. Life cannot consist only of responsibilities, there should be also pleasant moments in it. Not only “I must”, but also “I want”. And if you deny yourself this, then, sooner or later, you’ll seize upon your loved chocolate and the struggle with overweight will be over.

Too common approach
A lot depends on the way you formulate a task. If, while striking of a clock, you say yourself: “I want to become better in a new year”, you’re almost doomed to fail. How should one start realizing such a global task? What to start with? And what do you, finally, mean, saying “become better”? Divide your wish into several small, but executable steps and pose concrete problems in front of you: study French, go in for sport, quit smoking.
The more small pleasures you have in your life, the more power you get for great fulfillments!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO??¦
Every day

??? Invent some everyday ritual. For example, before going to bed, drink some squeezed juice while reading a magazine.
??? Find several spare minutes, when you can do nothing, but just dreaming.
??? Don’t dismiss some pleasures that happen by themselves. If your school friend called you or you noticed a beautiful sunset, rejoice over it.
??? Smile to people you’re talking to.
??? Spend as much time as you can with your loved ones.
??? Play with your children, hold your husband’s hand. And say them how you love them.
??? When you go to bed, remind the most pleasant thing that happened during the day.
??? And rejoice over it again.

Every week
??? Spend although one evening a week not your usual way. Go to the cinema or theatre, have a walk after dinner. Or just leave dirty plates and dishes for a morning, and devote spare 30 minutes to yourself.
??? Visit beautiful places when you feel calmly: these may be summer residence, church, interesting museum or even City Park.
??? Go in for sport. If usual aerobics seems boring for you, try something new and unusual: belly dance, samba or swimming.

Every month
??? Devote several hours to your appearance. Make an appointment with a hairdresser or cosmetologist, do massage or manicure.
??? Go shopping, learn storefronts and buy something pleasant for you.
??? Change the atmosphere. Go to a country place on the weekend or go for an excursion to some other city all together.

Every year
??? Plan a valuable, 2 week vacation at the minimum.
??? Start doing something new. Try drawing, singing, or, may be, kayak-paddling, if you feel you’re brave enough.
??? Invent and realize a birthday surprise for your loved one.
??? Meet friends and relatives who live far away from you.

You should have both responsibilities and pleasures in your plan, so that to realize all your intentions successfully!