Making New Year’s Health and Fitness Goals Stick

From Sharp Health News, a publication of Sharp HealthCare

As a new year approaches, it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. However, sometimes when setting health and wellness goals, we tend to be overambitious.

We set a goal to lift a certain amount of weight or lose a certain number of pounds, only to step into the gym once and never return. How can we prevent ourselves from burning out and losing track of our goals?

Try these tips:

Understand your “why.”
The key to setting goals is making sure they are SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. To find a goal that fits this criteria, it’s important to know your “why.” Identify your goal and then ask yourself why you’ve chosen that goal until you get to the root of your motivation — your “why.” Understanding why your goals matter can help keep you focused and make broad goals more specific and achievable.
Don’t just focus on numbers.
Designing your goals around specific numbers, such as your ideal weight, can be too rigid. This could cause you to get easily frustrated when the results do not show right away. Instead, center your goal on behavior changes that can help you become healthier in the long run.
Break it down.
Break down your goal into small, easy steps or mini goals. For example, if you’re aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day, start with 5,000 and work your way up from there.
Have an accountability partner.
Share your progress with a friend to help keep you motivated. This can also make working out a fun social activity, rather than something you feel like you have to do.

Sticking to goals is challenging for everyone. So it’s important not to feel discouraged if you fall behind. Above all, it’s vital not to beat yourself up if you get off track.

For more on this topic, check out:

Adjust to Attain

Setting goals is a great way to create momentum for better performance, long-term vision and ultimately success. However, writing down a goal and actually following through to achievement are two different things. Instead of giving up on a goal, consider adjusting your approach so you are able to attain it. Here are some ways you can adjust your goals to make them happen.

Write down your goal. If you haven’t already, make sure you have written down your goal. Get specific. State the goal, spell out what achievement looks like and select a date by when you want to achieve it. Then, put it in a place where you can see it — tape it to your bathroom mirror, stick it in your journal, change your screensaver on your computer or phone. Seeing your goal every day will remind you of what you want to achieve.

Create a plan. After you write down your goal, think about how you are going to achieve it. Take some time to create a plan, and then take the first step toward your goal. Sometimes, even the best intentions can get thwarted. If you have a plan in place on how to achieve your goals, you can be prepared for situations that might take you off course. Each day, think about your plan and put it into action.

Set mini-goals. Be careful of an all-or-nothing approach when trying to reach your goals. Chances are as you set to reach your ultimate goal, you will need to try something new or swap out one habit for another. Create a list of milestones that will lead to achieving your ultimate goal and then set out to complete them. As you begin to check each of these mini-goals off your list, you will gain momentum, giving you a better chance of reaching your final destination.

Get your attitude in check. Sometimes the biggest obstacle in trying to achieve a goal is one’s self. If you are getting frustrated or feel like your goal is unattainable, it’s time to take a break, reassess and reset. Stay away from the negative phrases and focus on all of the positive elements of setting and achieving your goal.

For more tips and advice on achieving your goals this year, read these articles:

Get Organized to Achieve Your Goals

A new year is the perfect time to reset and create new goals. Some people vow to lose weight, eat better or get financially fit. Others focus on work, family or travel goals. Getting organized is one goal that usually makes it into the top 10 list of resolutions that can actually help you achieve other goals. Here are some reasons why getting and staying organized can help your overall well-being.

You Will Save Time. If you counted up all of the minutes in a day per year you spend looking for your keys, purse or sunglasses, you just might be surprised. According to a Lost and Found study done by Pixie, Americans spend, when added up, a total of 2.5 days a year looking for their stuff! Imagine what you could do with that extra time. If you basically had a spot for everything you owned, a spot that you would remember because it would be in an intuitive place, you could spend less time looking and more time doing — like working out, meal prepping or even traveling!

You Will Be Healthier. One of the first steps of getting organized is to get rid of clutter. Focus on keeping only the things that spark joy. Then, try to find a place for everything. Eliminating clutter helps eliminate dust which helps you breathe easier. Being organized isn’t just about putting stuff away, it’s also about creating plans, managing your time and not over-scheduling yourself. For example, if you take the time each week to meal plan, you are more likely to eat healthier which may support your goal of working out, getting fit or losing weight.

You Will Be Less Stressed. When you have less clutter and everything has a place, you are less likely to be running around before you leave the house looking for your keys, hat, enter-said-item here. No clutter allows your mental capacity to grow. Instead of looking around at all of the stuff, what you need to put away or get rid of, your mind is able to focus more easily on the task at hand.

You Will Create Confidence. It’s nerve-racking when you know where an item is just to find that it is not where you swore you put it. It’s a knock on your mental confidence. When you know where items are, you will not only save time but you’ll also save your sanity. You’ll feel good knowing where everything is stored, and confident the next time you say, “OH, I know where that is!” This new-found confidence may be just what you need to keep your new year’s resolution of starting a new hobby or joining a gym.

Just like with any new resolution or goal, be sure to take it start small and take it slow. Start with simply putting your keys in the same spot every time you come home. Then, move on to bigger projects like cleaning out your closet. Before you know it, you’ll have your entire home decluttered and organized!

New Year’s Resolutions: Crushing Goals or Goals Crushed?

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? While some may be #crushinggoals, others’ goals may just be crushed! Change is hard but it doesn’t have to be impossible. And, just because you slipped up over the weekend doesn’t mean you need to throw in the towel just yet. If you’ve found yourself wanting to toss your resolutions to the side, try instead to be a starter, not a quitter! Think about the following and see if you can reset and restart to crush your 2021 goals.

Why are you making the change?

It’s a simple question that’s incredibly weighted. Everyone has different reasons for their goals and that’s OK. The one thing you should avoid is doing it just to do it. If you are going to set goals for yourself, put forth effort to attain them. But, in doing so, you’ll want to remember your “why”. Try to understand why your goals will impact you, make a difference or help others. Having a purpose will help you push through days when you simply don’t feel like you are moving forward.

Rethink your strategy.

If you have already stopped working toward keeping your resolutions, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Put your plan together and be realistic. Consider what your normal days are like and then figure out how you can reach your goal every day. If it’s to exercise more, map out the days you plan on exercising and the types of exercise (i.e. M, W, F – Strength; T, Th, Sat – Cardio). If you are trying to save money or pay down debt, look at what you want to save/pay off and then break down how much you need to save/pay off every paycheck and set up a side account to auto-deduct that amount. If you are trying to eat healthier, start meal prepping on the weekends.

Consider the little things.

If you’ve had to readjust your strategy, remember to always consider the little things. The sum of the parts makes up the whole. So, focus on one or two goals to start. Then, make small adjustments — no need to go all in on the first day. Always be kind to yourself and make sure you track and celebrate your accomplishments — no matter how small!

Need some more inspiration? Check out the VEBA Resource Center blog or our YouTube channel for ideas on how to set and maintain your goals!

Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions with Positive Self Talk

A new year is the perfect time to reset and refocus, which is why most people make resolutions. From huge habit-changing undertakings to small adjustments to your daily routine, resolutions can be life-changing — if you stick to them. But, according to Business Insider, 80% of people break their resolutions by the first week of February. Sound familiar?

If you strive to be among the 20% that plans on keeping your promise to yourself, it’s important to be your biggest cheerleader. You and only you can make (or break) your resolutions in 2021. Stick to your new year’s resolutions by maintaining positive talk — the thoughts and words you use to describe yourself and your goals.

Swap Out Negative for Positive

First, let’s distinguish the difference between positive talk and negative talk:

Negative Talk:

I can’t…
I’m not able to…
I’m not good enough to…

Now, think about how you can swap out these negative phrases to create positive statements:

Positive Talk:

I will learn how to…
I will do my best to…
I can try to…

Start creating goal-oriented habits by cutting out negative talk and replacing with positive talk.

Eliminate Negative Words From Your Thoughts

When making resolutions, it’s a common practice to say something like, “I’m not going to XXX,” where the “XXX” is the habit you want to break. But, did you know that by just saying those words, even though you say you are NOT going to do it, it still triggers your brain to associate your habits with the actual thing you want to stop doing?

Instead of using negative words — not, no, never — turn your resolutions or new habits into positive “I Will” statements:

Negative Talk:

I am not going to eat after 9 p.m.
I am never going to skip a workout.
I am not going to spend so much money on….

Positive Talk:

I will eat my last meal at 8 p.m.
I will workout 3 times a week.
I am going to create a realistic budget to help track my finances.

By making these small adjustments, you are subconsciously telling yourself what you will do versus depriving yourself of what you no longer want to do.

Go Easy on Yourself

Change is not easy. You are going to have good days and bad days, and that’s OK. Be realistic with your resolutions and know that change doesn’t normally happen overnight — it typically takes three weeks to form a new habit.

It’s important to give yourself grace and to be flexible while forming new habits. Avoid an all-or-nothing approach and instead focus on what you have done to make strides. Write these accomplishments down so you can revisit them if you need some motivation. Remind yourself that you are doing the best you can. If you slip up, reset as soon as you can and get back on track. Don’t be a quitter, be a starter!

Think about this statement from Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” It’s up to you. You set your resolutions. You want to make the change. You have committed yourself. Now, you just need to tell yourself that you can.

Using the GROW Model to Achieve Your Goals in the New Year

As seasons change, new opportunities, as well as challenges, may surface. The more clarity you have about where you are with your personal goals, ambitions and struggles, the better prepared you will be to move forward with confidence. As obstacles and unforeseen roadblocks arise, you can adjust and get back on track to move toward your desired destination.

One way to help map out your personal journey is to use the GROW Model as explained by VEBA Resource Center’s Director of Coaching, Robert Cappuccio. Somewhat like a compass, the GROW Model will help you set your direction. Developed by Sir John Whitmore and Graham Alexander, this tool has been utilized by individuals and organizations across the world to identify what they want and to establish strategies to attain their goals.

GROW stands for:

Goal. Ask yourself what you want to achieve or experience over the next year. Do you want to read more books? Expand your skillset at work? Strengthen relationships with your friends or family? Once you are clear about what you want, examine the reality of that goal.
Reality. Consider your goal and ask yourself what in your life is preventing you from achieving it? Do you have any constraints, that if they didn’t exist, would pave the way for you to achieve your most important outcomes this year? Are there people standing in your way?
Options. Now that you have your goal in mind and have thought about your reality, brainstorm five strategies to help you overcome the constraints of success or jot down options you believe will help you achieve your desired outcome. Come up with your ideas quickly and without judgement — no idea is a bad idea!
Will. Take a specific and measurable action toward your goal. Ask yourself if any of the ideas resonated with you as a possible way forward. You aren’t obligated to use any of them — you can come up with a different idea. It doesn’t have to be perfect. The momentum you gain from the lessons you learn from an imperfect idea offers far more value than a better, yet unexecuted, one.

Whatever idea you choose, make sure you are specific about what actions you’ll take, when you will take them and how you’ll measure success.

For more from Robert Cappuccio on overcoming obstacles and creating better habits, check out his videos “You Got This” and “CORE Habits”.

Take Stock of 2020 To Get Set for 2021

Another year, one unlike any other, is coming to an end. Nobody could have predicted the type of year COVID-19 created, nor could anyone have prepped for it. However, it’s always a great practice to reflect on your accomplishments of the year, no matter how big or small, and then set your eyes on the coming year by setting goals. Before you say good riddance to 2020, sit down and take stock of all you were able to do, and then get set for 2021:

Write down your accomplishments. Think back to the beginning of the year and go through every month. Tap into your work or personal calendar if you need to and write down everything you achieved — big and small. Anything goes! Maybe you learned a new skill due to the remote working environment. Or, maybe you reconnected with an old friend. Did you have a breakout year at work? Help a student through a difficult time? If it made you proud, happy or feel accomplished, consider it a star on your chart and write it down!

Reflect on your wins. After you have written down all of your wins for the year, reflect on the mindset you had during that time. Were you motivated by something or someone? Did you change your routine or create a new habit? Or maybe you learned a new skill that contributed to your success. Jot these notes down next to your accomplishments to remind yourself how you accomplished those particular wins.

Tweak, tinker and try. If your list of accomplishments feels short, please don’t feel disappointed. Just getting through this year was huge! However, if you are looking to make an improvement for next year, consider what you could have done differently, write it down and then think about how you can apply that change in 2021. It could be as simple as getting up 30 minutes earlier to go for a walk. Or maybe it’s turning off electronics by 6 pm so you can spend more time with your family. There’s always room for improvement — now is the time to make a change.

Set goals for 2021. Now that you’ve seen what you accomplished in 2020, reflected on your mindset and motivation and have identified ways in which you could do things differently to achieve more, think about what you want to do in 2021. Use this year’s accomplishments as building blocks or stepping stones to create your next set of wins. Consider all areas of your life — personal, professional, family, spiritual. You can start small and build upon them as the year goes on. If you write down your goals in vivid detail, you are 1.2-1.4 times more likely to reach them. So, set yourself up for success in 2021 starting now!

Whether you have a short list or a long list, one win we can all add is surviving 2020. Take some time to reflect on this year’s journey and then reset for 2021. Need a little help setting your 2021 goals? Watch “CORE Habits” and see how you can improve upon your daily living to achieve your goals.