By Rachel Anderson, Marketing & Communication Manager of Ability Tools

Most of us choose January first as a good time to make some important changes in our lives, as it is a new year and symbolizes a new beginning.

These resolutions usually include making healthier choices, including getting more exercise, getting more sleep, eating better, making better financial decisions, getting organized, and eliminating bad habits.

However, many of these resolutions fall to the wayside as our busy lives take over, and we find ourselves once again frustrated at those things about ourselves we want to change.

So, how do we make these conscious decisions to better ourselves a reality and not just dreams of good intentions?

Here is some great advice about sticking with our resolutions by Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before. The entire article can be found by clicking here.

Rubin says that we should be specific about our goals and monitor our resolutions, tracking both the positives and negatives, and to not let any slip ups along the way give us permission  to give up.

She reminds us that no one is perfect and to expect perfection sets one up for failure. “If you break your resolution today, try again tomorrow.  Try to use your slip-up as a lesson in how to do better next time. Although some people assume that strong feelings of guilt or shame act as safeguards to help people stick to good habits, the opposite is true. People who feel less guilt and who show compassion toward themselves in the face of failure are better able to regain self-control, while people who feel deeply guilty and full of self-blame struggle more.”

One of the most popular resolutions make is to lose weight and/or to get more exercise.  The best way to follow through on this resolution is to track your movements and calories burned!  Well, what if you are a wheelchair user? Here are some great articles on fitness trackers for those that use wheelchairs:

Freewheel is a fitness tracker for wheelchairs

Update: Fitness Watches For Wheelchair Users?

Why I chose a Fitbit Flex over other devices on the market:

How about getting more organized? Many of us strive to be more organized throughout the year, and January first is a great time to start making that goal a reality. Being organized can help one greatly – not only will you not lose or forget important things in your life, a large part of being organized actually helps one have more fun and feell less stressed.  Well, we all have different challenges when it comes to organizing, and there is no one solution fits all.  Here are 5 recommended apps as well as some suggestions from Tramatic Brain Injury organizations:

5 apps that keep you organized

Tramatic Brain Injury: Getting Organized

Initiation, Planning, Organization, and Brain Injury

TBI Guide: Problems Getting Organized

Finally, the third most popular goal is to save some money or get a better hold on your finances.  After having spent a lot for Christmas, many people find themselves in debt or at least not having as much money in their savings as they would like. Here are some ideas for how to take control of your financial future:

20 Android Apps To Manage Your Finances

Here are nine apps for the tech-savvy financial planner or investor

7 Apps That Manage Your Money For You

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?  Any advice for us?  Write it in the comment section below!