It’s January and for most people that means that starting the New Year with goals for a healthier 2020. The reality is that less than 8% of us will actually keep our health-related resolutions… that seems crazy so we did some research about what helps people actually achieve their goals. Here are some suggestions for health resolutions that you can actually stick to–
#1 Don’t try to change everything at once. Rather than trying to overhaul your exercise regime or your diet all at once, it’s a whole lot more realistic to choose one small thing that you want to change. For example, if your goal is to try to eat better and you struggle with overeating at lunch– your resolution might be to pack a healthy lunch for work every weekday.
#2 Be specific. Rather than a general goal to get more exercise, it’s much better to give yourself a concrete goal like “Walk for 30 minutes three days a week after work for the next two months.” Not only is that much easier to actually accomplish, it’s also possible to measure how you’re doing with a specific goal and tweak it as necessary.
For example, maybe you recognize that it’s hard to exercise after work and decide to adjust your goal to be “Walk 30 minutes three days a week before work for the next six weeks.” Being able to track your progress with a specific goal over a timeframe also means that you know when it’s time to celebrate!
#3 Get support. Trying to achieve ANYTHING is always easier with help, and health-related goals are no different. Post your goal on Facebook or find a buddy who you can talk to at the end of each day and share your successes (and challenges) with.
Having someone to keep you accountable will help you stay focused and able to avoid temptation. The other side of this suggestion is to avoid people who make achieving your goal harder– if you’re trying to drink less, it’s probably not a good idea to go out with a former drinking buddy until your goals have become more of a habit.
#4 Accept that there will be setbacks. You’re not perfect and that means that there will be days or even weeks when it’s tough to exercise or eat breakfast. The sooner you can forgive yourself and move on from mistakes, the sooner you can get back on track with whatever your goal is and keep making progress. Don’t use a rough patch as an excuse to give up on your goal entirely– remember what your motivation for wanting to make a change in the first place was and re-commit.
If you have diabetes, an excellent resolution would be to take our free email class about how to be healthy with diabetes– you can sign up below. For more information about how to keep resolutions, check out this great article from WebMD. Good luck! Here at Diabetes- What To Know, we’re wishing you a healthy and happy 2020!
The medical information on Diabetes – What To Know’s website is provided as an information resource only. The content is not in any way intended to be nor should you rely on it as a substitute for professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, advice and treatment.
