Many people ring in the New Year with a resolution, yet many do not keep them throughout the year. Whether your resolution is in the area of health and nutrition, or finance, or personal relationships, here are some tips to help you meet your goals.
Stay focused! If you try to make too many changes at once, or your changes are too big, you may feel overwhelmed and discouraged if you are not successful. This increases your likelihood of quitting early on. Focus on one small change at a time. Once you are successful at that one change, you can always go bigger and add more on!
Be SMART with your goals! S.M.A.R.T. stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based. Here are examples of how to make goals ‘smarter’.
“I will eat healthier.” - - “I will eat 2 cups of fruits and vegetables per day.”
“I will exercise more.” - - “I will walk around the block three times a week.”
To learn more about S.M.A.R.T. goals in the new year, visit: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/setting-smart-goals-new-year
Focus on skill building! Most fad diets are successful short-term, but do not provide the skills or habits for people to be successful in the long-term. Focus on building skills that are healthy for you, not just meeting goals, such as weight loss.
Keep yourself accountable! Have regular check-ins with yourself to see where you are at with your goals. Have a family member or friend check-in with you on your progress.
It’s a Team Effort! Those who work on goals alongside others, such as a family or friend, are more likely to be successful.
Find your fit! Everyone has different preferences, lifestyles, and priorities. What works for someone else may not be the best for you. You will be more successful if you take your personal preferences into account.
Get rid of the negative self talk! It is common for people to blame and shame themselves before they even get started or if they did not reach a specific goal. Negative self talk only decreases a person’s chances of success in the future. Remember: it’s about motivating yourself, not discouraging yourself.