FIVE SMART WAYS TO ACHIEVE NEW YEAR VOWS

The odds aren’t good when it comes to achieving New Year resolutions. According to U.S. News & World Report, by mid-february, 80 per cent of us have failed. Strava, the social network for athletes, analyzed 31 million global online activities in January 2017 and pinpointed Jan. 12 as the day our motivation is most likely to falter. But here’s one way to increase your chances. (The SMART approach was originally intended for business management goals.)

S BE SPECIFIC

Once you’ve chosen your resolution, write it down in specific terms and show it to a friend or your partner. Ask them how they would set about achieving this goal if it were theirs — and even more important, how they’d know they were making progress. Adjust as necessary.

M SET MEASURABLE GOALS

Visible progress is extremely motivating, and the best way to see it is to use numbers. How many pounds is your ideal weight? How far do you hope to jog and in how many minutes? Notice I’ve suggested only positive goals. Measurable, positive aims are more motivating than vague, negative goals such as “be less of a couch potato.”

A CREATE ACHIEVABLE GOALS

This is hard to do alone. Ask a good friend or a family member whether they think your aim is realistic, or whether instead it may stress you unduly and defeat you. Friends and family are likely to be kinder to you than you will be to yourself, as well as more realistic.

R CHOOSE RELEVANT GOALS THAT ARE

It’s too easy to feel pressure from friends, family or colleagues to set a target. But you’ll never get there if your heart isn’t really in it. Try writing down the benefits if you were to achieve your aim. If you can’t think of more than three, or if they’re only about what others will think about you, choose a different resolution.

TREALISTIC TIME LIMITS

After estimating how long you’ll need, add 50 per cent to your estimate, or compare it to how long you would expect a friend to take. Work some slack time into your weekly steps as well, or allow for a “goal-free” week to make up for any lapses.