Trying to figure out a New Year’s Resolution?
Here is a guide to help you determine and achieve your goals!
Trying to figure out a New Year’s Resolution? Here is a guide to help you determine and achieve your Resolution!
Just answer these questions:
1.What are three things that are important to your health and/or what are some concerns you have about your health?
Here are a couple of examples:
Smoke less: If you want to stop smoking that is an amazing goal that will benefit you a lot, but remember smoking less is also great! It’s better if you cut back and can continue to smoke less over time than if you try to stop completely and can’t.
Move more: You don’t have to go for a run or join a fancy gym. You can get more exercise every day just by getting off the bus a stop or two early and walking the extra blocks!
2. What are you ready to work on right now?
Remember you can be healthier today! Start with small manageable steps and move forward!
3. What is ONE thing you can change today to make yourself healthier?
For example: Flossing, eating more veggies, exercise… Remember to make the change achievable. If it’s easy or you enjoy your change you can always challenge yourself more in the future!
Make sure your goal is specific like, “I will floss twice a week”, not “I will floss more”. Don’t worry if you think your goal isn’t hard enough-you can always upgrade! When I first decided to change a behavior I chose flossing and planned to start doing it 2 nights a week. Once I got that down I added days until eventually I was flossing every night!
4. Why is it important? How will it make you a healthier/happier person?
Maybe you would feel more confident and capable if you were to lose some weight. Or you wouldn’t have as many cavities to pay for if you floss. Perhaps your family would stop harassing you about smoking as much if you cut back.
If you aren’t sure it will make you happier to accomplish the health goal you have set, you might try incentivizing the completion of the goal with something unrelated: like buying tickets to a sports game as a prize for finishing three months of the healthy change!
5. How often do you do it now and how many times are you likely to do it?
I might try 2-3 times a week at first and then changing to make it harder after 3 months.
My New Years Resolution is: I will eat a salad 3 times a week. If I can do it for 3 months I will try for 4 times a week!
What will yours be?
