Are you discouraged? It’s only February and, if you’re like many, your well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions are already broken. No need to fret. Here are some tips to help you take action and get back on track.
Healthy intentions
First off, let’s talk briefly about what a healthy resolution is. Actually, I prefer to think of it as an intention, not a resolution. A healthy intention is one that leads to better overall health: physically, mentally, or emotionally (or all three), along with a positive life change.
I’m often asked why individuals find it so hard to keep a resolution. Is it a matter of not being realistic in setting obtainable goals? A resolution is an attempt at a behavior change, which is very difficult to do. We, as humans, are creatures of habit, so changing habits is hard. We need to be realistic about an attainable goal: one which you can still see yourself doing six months from now.
Staying on track
There are helpful tips, however, for staying on track—or getting back on track—with a goal. First, it is important to pick a reasonable date to start your resolution. For many, the first day of a new year isn’t a great time to make a lifestyle change. For starters, we have just finished the holidays, which are often stressful in and of themselves. Kids have been out of school. You might have traveled, had guests, or just be returning to work and trying to catch up on a lot of built-up tasks. Adding yet another “thing to do” sets you up for failure. To have a better chance of success, it might be better to set a start date for later on in the month, or now, in February, when things have hopefully settled down for you.
Simple things like a positive mindset can be critical to succeeding with any resolution. As with any behavioral change, viewing this as something good that you have decided to do for yourself is always going to be more palatable than viewing it as a punishment or something you have to do. (Don’t forget the power of positive thinking!)
When it comes to monitoring your success, it depends on your personality and how you like to measure progress. We all have good days, and “less good” days, when it comes to adherence to an intention. Creating enough “space” for a trend to emerge is the best way to plot out success. If you’re trying to cut back on alcohol, consume fewer sugary foods, or increase your exercise, sometimes it is good to see regular progress, like checkmarks every day for work accomplished. With regards to weight loss, don’t weigh yourself any more frequently than once a week. (There are far too many variations in any given day, which might give false data.) Instead, weigh yourself on the same day each week, at the same time, wearing the same or similar clothing.
In addition, remember the importance of incentives to keep your resolution. Incentives or rewards are always good things. Most of us are reward-driven creatures. If possible, choose a reward that is in line with your intention, and not one that would set you back on your charted course of progress. (For example, don’t reward your accomplishment of eating fewer sweets with a slice of cake.)
I’m often asked whether goals and intentions should be an individual effort or if it’s helpful to enlist a spouse, coach, or loved one to support (or monitor) your progress. It all depends on what motivates you or helps keep you engaged in your goal. Some people like to have someone else know their intention, so they can remain accountable to another. Others want to keep it private. If that’s the case, at least write it down on paper and keep it in a place where you see it periodically, so it will help keep you engaged in your intention.
Try, try again
Remember the old adage, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” It’s true. You can and should make every effort to reach goals that are important to you, even if you’ve had a setback or delay. So what if you’re restarting your resolution in February? There is no magic to any “start date.” Every day is a new opportunity to make changes for the better. Don’t feel bad about breaking a resolution. Deciding that you will start again and that you are worthy of starting again, is the most effective key to success.
Elizabeth H. Lowe, M.D., specializes in internal medicine and is board certified in both internal and medicine and pediatrics. A graduate of Chicago Medical School, she completed her residency and internship at Loyola University of Chicago. She is affiliated with MarinHealth Medical Network and can be reached at (415) 795-7000.
