Making those resolutions stick
With the advent of the new year, many of us strive to make resolutions for better work and health habits. While resolutions are well-intentioned, few resolutions are carried out to successfully to produce real and lasting changes in habits and life style that provide significant benefits for this year and future years. Studies of healthy lifestyle habits indicate that changing health-related habits for the better has significant effects on our overall current health status.
Often, the goal to change a habit is based on a big change without enough planning that will allow success. Research has shown that there are ways in which individuals can be more successful in achieving their resolution goals. Here are a few of the ways in which the approach to resolutions can be more meaningful from the outset and more successful over the year.
Choosing a goal that is meaningful and interesting will support sustained activity to reach that goal. There are often targets we feel we “must” try to achieve. When goals are self-motivated and driven by positive thoughts and positive experiences, the changes can be more lasting.
To achieve a big goal, breaking it down to smaller and specific targets ensures that steps are consistently taken toward achieving that lifestyle change. If the overarching goal is to exercise more in 2020 identifying what “more” actually means is important. If this means moving from zero activity to exercising for 120 minutes per week, the targeted behavior needs to be clear and easy to work toward. Starting with short walks during breaks in the workday and building longer walks over time can integrate the goal into a daily routine more seamlessly.
One must also consider obstacles AND identify ways to prevent or overcome these barriers. For instance, having a buddy to either exercise with you (walking in your neighborhood or the gym) can help prevent “skipping” days. This can add a social component to exercise. Sometimes, commitment to a scheduled time with an exercise buddy can be stronger than the commitment to the exercise itself. Setting a time for activity or exercise on your phone or calendar will remind you in the course of your day.
Lifestyle changes sound easy but require a thoughtful and measured approach. Success relies on careful consideration of the goal and the steps to achieve success. It is important to remember that even with diligent planning and consideration of barriers, there will be time when the plan goes astray and one “fails” to reach the target. All is NOT lost. This is normal and expected. These cycles are an opportunity to learn which factors support or impede success. These factors can be related to schedule or the actual activities. For instance, the goal could be to exercise more in 2020 and an activity to meet that goal is to train for a foot race. If, at the third month, running is not found to be enjoyable, then a new activity such as hiking or biking can be explored. A steadfast, flexible approach to making a change will take at least six months to make a solid habit form. In the first six months, as new habits are integrated, you will find the areas where old or negative habits emerge and you can identify which new habits support your lifestyle goals better.