When a new year begins, it’s a great time to focus on new resolutions.
However, a lot of people who set resolutions each year don’t end up keeping them. In fact, only about 12 percent of people asked about previous New Year’s resolutions felt they had succeeded in achieving their goals.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Want some tips on how to set resolutions you’ll keep? Read on for some helpful goal-setting tips to use when making resolutions to improve your lifestyle.
Make your resolutions about you
New Year’s resolutions should be personal and matched to your goals. This is because when you choose resolutions matched to your objectives, you’re more likely to succeed.
So, make each resolution meaningful to you, not what someone else makes you think you should do. For example, if someone says you should lose weight, but you want to run a marathon, make the marathon your goal. If it means more to you, you’re more likely to put in the effort to succeed.
Additional tips:
- Keep your list of resolutions short. Doing this helps you to avoid getting overwhelmed.
- If you have multiple resolutions, work on one at a time before moving on to the next.
- Don’t recycle last New Year’s resolution that you didn’t keep — unless you change it so it’s more achievable this time.
Be specific about your resolutions
The simplest and most achievable goals are SMART. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
If you’re wondering how SMART resolutions can help you succeed, here’s an example of SMART goal-setting techniques using weight loss as the resolution:
- Specific: Rather than saying you want to lose weight in 2022, say you are going to lose 50 pounds in 2022.
- Measurable: Just saying you want to lose weight doesn’t give you a number to shoot for. Going for a 50-pound weight loss provides you a measurable goal.
- Achievable: If you say you want to lose a huge amount of weight, that might not be achievable or safe. Setting a goal, like 50 pounds, which amounts to about a pound a week offers you a safe, achievable goal.
- Relevant: Your goal needs to matter to you. It shouldn’t be something you feel like your family, friends or society want from you. You should desire it on a meaningful level.
- Time-bound: Commit to a timeline for achieving each part of your goal. Put it in your planner and check in regularly throughout the year. Also, if you find you’re falling behind on your desired timeline, you can adjust your timeline and get back on track.
If your New Year’s resolution is health-related, talking with your primary care provider can help. You can discuss with them your goal, your current health status and steps you can take to safely make your new habits last.
Learn more about the primary care services we offer at Bon Secours.
