NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2019 - 14

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Maintaining New Year's Resolutions

UN A 5K? GOT IT. DRINK MORE WATER? DONE.
KICK BAD HABITS, SUCH AS SMOKING AND
WATCHING TOO MUCH TELEVISION? DOABLE.

Creating New Year's resolutions has become a 'fundamental' part
of the holiday season. According to the most recent polls, nearly
40% of Americans jot down a list of goals they want to achieve over
the next year. While commendable, only 20% of people succeed
in achieving their resolutions. So, what is holding most people
back from achieving their goals? The process of reaching these
goals depends on more than taping the overzealous list to the
fridge. The following list summarizes the most common reasons
people fall short and provides tools for future improvement.

1. Resolutions are often too vague.

Most people want to reach a specific set of goals but fail to
outline them beforehand. For example, John has been leading
a sedentary lifestyle, but now wants to
begin exercising and participate in
local races. Like everybody else this
holiday season, John wrote down
'exercise more' and that was
that. To successfully reach your
New Year's resolution, the goals
should be Appealing, Realistic,
and Specific. To demonstrate
how each one applies to you,
let's look at John. John wants
to exercise more in 2019 and has
signed up for a local gym membership.
However, John understands that he doesn't
know where to begin his exercise routine and loses interest in a
couple of weeks. Instead, he needs to find a personal trainer or
join exercise classes that will serve as external motivators. At the
same time, John needs to set a very specific and realistic goal.
Going from no exercise to competing in physical competitions
or running Tough Mudder races is unrealistic. Instead, setting
concrete goals such as being able to run a 5k under 30 minutes
by the end of the year is more realistic, and hence, achievable.

2. Most people do not set a concrete
plan with appropriate milestones.

Even if people set goals that are appealing, realistic, and specific,
the lack of concrete plans can be daunting.
Instead of saying "I will accomplish
my goals in 2019," write down the
exact dates when to achieve your
goals. In our case, if John wants
to get in better shape, he needs
to write down concrete dates:
run a 5K by July 31st or squat
180 pounds by September 15th.
Additionally, frequently checking
up on your progress will actively
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