Resetting Resolutions
How are your New Year’s resolutions working out for you?
Many people look forward to the New Year and for many different reasons. For some it’s a time to get rid of old habits and start new ones. For others, it’s the beginning of 365 days, which is sufficient time to accomplish new goals. Some people just had enough of the old year, and believe the New Year will be better. And others simply join the bandwagon because it’s a popular time to set resolutions.
Many resolutions fail because they are not true goals.
Over the years, I’ve made this mistake. I’ve set an arbitrary date to make a resolution (firm decision) without giving any thought to the steps needed to achieve those resolutions.
Time and time again, people create New Year’s resolutions, and fail to reach them, which often leads to self-incrimination, depression and feelings of inadequacy.
Living under pandemic constraints took a negative toll on my emotions, and a few months ago I shared how I manage positivity during COVID.
Throughout this experience, I realized that I was not living life the way I wanted to live it. I was in survival mode and barely managing to get through each day. As a mom, wife, personal trainer, manager, and business owner, I felt strapped doing things I HAD to do, versus doing things I NEEDED to do to take care of myself. As a result, I felt depressed, anxious and alone.
By taking care of the needs of others around me 24/7, I was not taking care of myself. I felt like I was chasing life instead of living it.
Then, one day I I realized that I missed living MY life. I missed being ME.
It was time for me to make a change.
It was time for me to live my life.
In order to begin living my life, I needed to make significant changes. I needed to set some goals to help guide me back into taking care of me.
By setting goals and creating a clear roadmap for how you’ll reach your goal, you can decide how to apply your time and resources to achieve them.
When you set a goal for yourself, you should include each step that it will take to achieve your goal. The SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time based) can help provide the frame-work needed to get started and be successful. Specifically:
Specific – Make your goals specific and narrow for effective planning.
Measurable – Define what evidence will prove you’re making progress and re-evaluate when necessary.
Attainable – Make sure you can reasonably accomplish your goal within a certain timeframe.
Relevant – Make sure your goals align with your values and long-term objectives.
Time based – Set a realistic, ambitious end-date to help prioritize your tasks.
Without goals, it can be difficult to determine how to get a certain job, finish a project, lose weight, or other milestones you want to achieve.
Here are a few examples of how SMART goals work:
Instead of saying “My New Year resolution is to lose 25 pounds”.
Try saying “My health goal is to lose fat and gain muscle.” I will do this through lifestyle changes. I will:
Move more
Drink more water
Eat more veggies
Then, add a few specific, measurable small goals in each area that will support your big goal.
And remember, it takes TIME to achieve goals. They do not happen overnight. Goals should be flexible so that when life turns upside down, you do not stop working towards your overall goal.
You must have specific, measurable, small goals that will lead you to your overall goal.
What health or lifestyle goal(s) are you working on right now?
What do you want to do differently?
What do you want to achieve?
Curious as to what goals I set for myself?
A few months ago I created some new SMART goals that were designed to help me feel better so I could have the energy and motivation to live my life!
Here they are:
Get back to running
• Commit to running challenge
• Complete 2-3 runs per week in January.Get back to strength training
• Commit to a strength training program.
• Complete 3 workouts per week in January. If I meet my January goal, I will purchase a new piece of equipment as a birthday gift to myself in February.Get back to eating healthier
• Hydrate! Half by body weight in ounces of water every day!
• Meal prep on Sunday (or Monday… see, flexibility…) veggies and quick breakfast/snack items.
Currently I’m meeting some goals and adjusting others. Learning how to be flexible with your goals is very important to long-term progress and sustainability.
Not only is it important to be flexible with your goals, it’s also important to forgive yourself when you get off-track. This may happen to you. It’s certainly happened to me.
When I get off-track with my goals, I reset. I reach out to people I know who I trust that can help me get back on track. I am resetting now because I want to get back into something that was a huge part of my daily routine for years prior to the pandemic. I want to live my life instead of chase it.
I’ve let the pandemic pivot my life and it’s time for me to take my life back.
Remember this:
Setting goals can help you change old habits and learn new ones.
Setting flexible goals can help you stay on track.
Setting SMART goals can help you achieve the success you want by organizing the process and providing the structure before you begin.
Are you ready to reset your resolutions?
Are you chasing life or living it?
Are you ready to make a SMART goal for your health and fitness?
We’re in this together.
If not now …. When?
Anna Dufloth
BS, CPT, Certified Fitness Instructor
