How to Make New Years Resolutions Stick
We’ve all made new year’s resolutions that we throw out the window by march, and tell ourselves that this time it’ll be different we’ll stick to them no matter what. Less than half of people that had resolutions for the new year are still sticking to them after 6 months. Why do we give up on our resolutions? Is it will power? Motivation?
The truth is it’s not you, it’s the resolution. Most people set unrealistic goals without an attainable plan to achieve them. Luckily there is a method of setting goals that delivers results, it’s called SMART goals. By the end of today’s post you’ll bullet-proof those resolutions into habit-forming goals.
What is a SMART goal?
SMART stands for:
Specific: what exactly do you want to achieve?
The more specific your description, the better the chance you’ll get exactly what you want. It’s the difference between ‘I want to exercise more’ and ‘I will go for a 30 minute walk 5 times a week’.
Measurable: identify exactly what your goal will look like.
Rather than ‘I want to lose weight’, try ‘I want to lose 3cm from my belly’ or ‘I want to fit into my favourite pair of jeans’. Remember, the scales don’t have all of the answers!
Attainable: don’t set yourself up for failure!
Make sure your goal is achievable or you’ll be doomed from the start. You also need to work out whether you’re able to invest the time, money and effort into reaching your goal.
Relevant: what is your objective and will this goal help you achieve it?
For instance, will flogging yourself at the gym make you happy? Or are you better off setting yourself the goal to walk 5 days a week?
Timely: put a realistic time limit on your goal.
Deadlines are an important part of goal-setting as they keep you accountable. If you’re a procrastinator, it might be worth having weekly goals that you can stick to rather than a deadline 3 months away.
An example of turning your failed resolution into a SMART Goal
Traditional New Years resolution: I want to get fit
SMART Goal
Smart – I am going to run 3 days per week and train for a 5k run
Measurable – I will follow the 8 week couch to 5k program
Attainable – This program will take me from a non-runner to running 5k without stopping
Relevant – I want to enjoy the outdoors and have great cardiovascular fitness
Timely – I have signed up for a 5k fun run in 9 weeks time
SMART Goals are built by habits
Once we create our smart goals we now need to take action! Perhaps it’s running 3 days a week, reading 10 pages a day, or only drinking alcohol Friday and Saturday nights. Whatever it is, we need to make these new actions become habits. When things become habits it doesn’t take us mental energy to complete the task, we just do it.
I also want to give you permission to let it go, accept where you are now and shift your focus from your current situation to your current habits because those are changeable and with change comes the inevitable results.
If you want more help on making your SMART goals become habits a great book to read is
‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear.
Let’s create our SMART Goals!
We’ve created a FREE printable template that allows you to put down your SMART Goals in writing for the year ahead. Depending on the goal it’s best to only have 1-3 each quarter of the year to ensure you’re not biting off more than you can chew.
If you have a goal to improve your health and feel better than ever don’t miss out on the FREE 15 Minute phone consultations with our experienced Naturopaths. You can book by clicking here or by calling our incredible team on 02 4961 4075.
We can’t wait to help make 2023 your best year yet!
