It’s hard to believe that 2013 has come to an end and it’s that time of year where people start thinking about their New Year’s Resolutions. 
If you’re like most people, you don’t even want to think about making New Year’s resolutions anymore because it’s too depressing when you don’t succeed. According to a recent survey published in the Journal of Psychology, the Top 10 Resolutions for 2014 are:
- Lose Weight
- Get Organized
- Spend Less, Save More
- Enjoy Life to the Fullest
- Stay Fit and Healthy
- Learn Something Exciting
- Quit Smoking
- Help Others in Their Dreams
- Fall in Love
- Spend Time with Family
According to this survey, 45% of Americans usually make a resolution, but less than 50% actually succeed in keeping that resolution. I know I have fallen into that category several times. Why do we often find it so hard to keep our resolutions? Resolutions are like goals, and when establishing a goal they should be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Many times when we make a resolution or a goal we fail to follow these principles.
Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the five “W’s” questions: Who, What, When, Where, and Why?
Measurable – Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you are able to measure your progress, it’s easier to stay on track because you can see the results.
Attainable –You can attain almost any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps.
Realistic– To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work.
Timely – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency.
Well, here’s a way to have resolutions that stick. Say goodbye to New Year’s resolutions and hello to monthly habits. At the end of 2012, I read an article about making small resolutions instead of one big New Year’s resolution. The concept was that each month you would commit to one small change and focus on it for an entire month. With each month, you were not required to keep the resolution from the month before, but the idea was that after 4 weeks – this lifestyle change will have become a habit. This strategy is based on the premise that it takes approximately 6 weeks to successfully make a change that turns into a habit, so after one month of successfully committing to something you are well on your way to making a successful lifestyle change. In theory, after 12 months, you will have made 12 successful changes to your life, which means by the end of the year, you will have achieved a healthier you!
The article inspired me to try that approach for resolution making in 2013. Instead of one big New Year’s resolution, I made small monthly ones. My first mini-resolution was to start running again.
Disney Half Marathon, Carla is 2nd from the left
While this may sound like a big resolution, I made a plan for the month to help me succeed. For January, I designed a training plan for myself and registered for a road race with some friends to help keep me focused. By the end of the year I had significantly increased my weekly mileage, improved my training pace and completed three half marathons!
Some of my other monthly goals for 2013 were:
- Spend more time with friends
- Reconnect with my faith
- Establish a consistent sleep routine
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Do yoga
- Cook more meals at home
While I can’t say every resolution I made was met with the same success as my first resolution of the year, I tackled each one with the same approach. I developed a plan and strategies to help me meet it. At the end of 2013, I can clearly say I have successfully adopted several lifestyle changes and I’m a healthier person because of it.
Some ideas I have so far for 2014 are:
- Drink more water
- Improve my upper body strength
- Read more books
“Your life doesn’t get better by chance. It gets better by change.” – Unknown
Happy New Year,
Carla Graves
Eat Fit Health, Intern
Drexel University Graduate Student, MS in Human Nutrition
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Eat Fit Health offers nutrition counseling and health coaching services to help you achieve your goals! Schedule online today!