Do you make New Year’s resolutions? You may want to reconsider because New Year’s resolutions don’t work. Here’s why:
Statistically, resolutions start out okay, but by February, the motivation has fizzled, and many people have given up on them altogether.
I want you to stop making resolutions and instead try something new so that you can sustain your health and wellness goals.
Try specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals instead.
Specific
SMART goals are techniques aimed at breaking down a large goal into smaller ones needed to reach your destination. Broad resolutions are not specific and do not focus on the different factors that keep a person from reaching them. If weight loss is your resolution, how are you going to achieve it? You may need to eat smaller portions or move more. However, even those smaller goals are too broad. “Smaller portions”– depending on the person, a more specific goal may be needed to achieve that goal, such as “limiting dinner to one plate” or “limiting wine to one glass.”
Measurable
A measurable goal gives a person quantifiable data on the specific goal to see the progress. If your resolution is to stress less this year, how can you measure it? Let’s say the goal is to meditate for 30 minutes a day. Maybe you start with 5 minutes a day for one week. Then, the following week, you could add a few more minutes, gradually working up to your “big” goal of 30 minutes a day by the end of three months.
Attainable
Is your goal attainable and realistic in your current situation? Maybe your goal is to run a 5K. If you haven’t walked around the block recently, you can’t realistically run a 5K. Your goal is not SMART.
Similarly, if the goal is to be at your optimal weight by the end of the year and you have 100 pounds to lose, and you set a goal to lose five pounds a week, you will end up feeling discouraged because this is not realistic. This is because the recommended weight loss is one-half a pound to two pounds per week. This goal is more realistic, less drastic, and sustainable.
Relevant
Next, you must ask yourself if the goal you’re making is relevant and important to you. Is it going to help you achieve your bigger overarching goal? If the broad resolution is to be healthier, many smaller lifestyle goals can be formed, such as eating healthier, getting more activity, getting quality sleep, and reducing stress.
If the goal you are choosing is the one you continuously fail at, you might want to ask yourself how important it is to you (on a scale of 1-5) and how confident you are (using the same scale) that you can achieve your goal. This can help you figure out whether it’s the right goal to work on in the moment. By choosing a SMART goal that is important and you feel confident about, you are going to be more likely to accomplish it.
Time-bound
Lastly, a SMART goal needs to be time-bound. Again, resolutions tend to be broad, and in turn, they are too difficult to maintain. Some people believe it takes 21-30 days to form a new habit, however, research shows it’s mostly a myth, mainly because behavior change is a constant cycle of action, maintenance and relapse.
By making a goal time-bound, you can objectively analyze how you are doing with meeting the goal. Is it working, or can you improve? Can you maintain the behavior? If so, it may be time to focus on a different SMART goal or adjust your current goals.
Here are some examples to get you started:
✔ I will walk for thirty minutes three times a week for the next month. I will walk 15 minutes during my lunch break and 15 minutes after dinner.
✔ I will eat two servings of vegetables at dinner every night this week.
✔ I will meditate for 5 minutes in the morning before work for the next week.
✔ I will get to bed no later than 10p every night this week.
One last tip to reaching your goals is to build a support system to keep you accountable. If you need more specialized support with making healthy behavior changes or creating SMART goals, you can set up a complimentary consultation to learn more about how working with a board-certified health and wellness coach can help you.
Helping you create a plan to meet your goals, reduce stress, manage your time, create an exercise schedule, eat better, practice self-care and more!
Habit change is not always easy, but when you work with a board-certified health and wellness coach, you get the support and accountability you need to stay on track – – as well as evidence-based education to help you make informed choices for your unique goals and challenges.
Ready to take the first step? Contact Janine for a complimentary Discovery Call to see how working with Coach4HealthyLiving can help you meet your goals.
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