Setting Health Goals for the New Year

January is a fresh start for everyone. Make the most of the New Year by setting up some goals for yourself. Even if you didn’t start off the year with some resolutions on January 1 committing yourself to a goal can begin on any day of the year! Below are some helpful tips on making healthy resolutions for the New Year.

Limit your goals. Multiple resolutions can be harder to follow through. Focus on a few or only one and go from there.

Write it down. There are studies floating around suggesting those who write down their goals are far more successful. Think of it as a personal contract.

Be specific. Don’t let the goal be generic. What exactly do you want to accomplish? How will you do it? What’s the game plan or strategy?

Many people follow the SMART method when it comes to goal-setting:

S-pecific: What do you want to accomplish?

M-easurable: What is the metric with which you will measure your success and track your accomplishment?

A-ction oriented: The end goal should include an action you can take in order to achieve.

R-easonable/R-elevant: Your resolution should be reasonable, meaning that it’s within reach or isn’t within your standard day-to-day (that’d be too easy). Resolutions are a challenge to yourself that aren’t easy but shouldn’t be impossible.

T-ime oriented: What’s the goal completion date? Know where you are now before deciding where you want to go. Where do you currently stand on overall health? If your goal is to do 1,000 pull-ups a week and you can barely do one without the assistance of a chair it’s probably a good idea to temper expectations. Whether your goal is to quit smoking, exercise regularly (which is too ambiguous – remember to be specific with this type), lose weight (again, set a number!), or eat healthier we wish you nothing but the best in the New Year!