It is that time again to reflect on the past year and set resolutions for the new year. I wrote about New Year resolutions and what makes a good goal last year. This year I would like to touch on the subject of New Year resolutions again but from a different angle.
New Year Resolutions
First off, New Year resolutions can be great, but we don’t have to wait for a new year to decide to make important changes in our lives. Yes, New Year’s is a time that more people think about things like improving health or any number of goals. However that may part of the problem: many people only think about those things at New Year’s. How long do most New Year resolutions last? I think most people would agree, you are doing well if you can stick with it for a month. Hopefully by that time it has become a habit and you stick with it for the rest of your life, but from my experience, and those around me, this is not usually the case.
Now, I am not saying that we should give up on making New Year resolutions, but this should not be the only time that we think about making important changes, especially when it comes to health. The other main problem I find with New Year resolutions is that they tend to be drastic changes from your current lifestyle or broad, general ideas like “to get healthy.” Well what does it mean to you to “get healthy”? And are you going to try to drastically change hundreds of things or just a few?
Small, Consistent Changes
Again I am not against New Year resolutions but think many of them fail because we try to take on too much all at once. A better solution is to continually think about small ways to improve your life rather than just setting a large general goal at New Year’s. Making one or two small changes is something that is manageable and that you are likely to actually do. If you want to “eat better” start with eating one more fresh fruit or vegetable a day and once that is established work on something else.
You can make positive changes in your life and become healthier! But it really is the small things that make the difference. Big sweeping changes that only last a few days or weeks will likely have little impact on your health. However, a few small changes over a lifetime can make all the difference in the world.
One more note on New Year resolutions – if your goal is to “lose weight,” please be very careful and rethink what you really want. There are many ways to “lose weight” but they may not be healthy. The scale also becomes very powerful because that shows if you are “meeting” your goal. However, you can slim down and get healthier without “losing weight.” If you would like more information about this subject check out another article “How important is the scale?”
I hope you have a happy and safe New Year! And if you would like help reaching your health goals, give the office a call! I work with people just like you to reduce their stress, relieve their pain, and improve their quality of life for years to come.
