New Year, New You: How to Set Achievable Health Goals
The new year is a time when many of us reassess our health habits and set goals for the year ahead. Maybe you want to eat healthier, exercise more, or lose weight. While those are all great goals, they are not specific enough to lead to success.
Here are some ways to make your goal setting a success in the new year, so you aren’t left wondering where the year went and you are still in the same spot.
Start with Reflection
Start by reflecting on the past year. What went well in terms of your health goals? What didn’t go so well? Think about some of the barriers you faced that prevented you from achieving your resolutions from last year.
Did you set unrealistic goals? Move too quickly and it becomes unsustainable? Or maybe you set goals you weren’t that passionate about? This quick reflection of the past can help you determine how you want to move forward.
Define Clear, Actionable Goals
Your goals need to be more specific than “eat more vegetables”. What does “more” mean? This is why the reflection piece is so important, if you know where you have been you can know where you are going.
Here is an example of a specific, actionable goal: “I will eat two servings of vegetables daily at lunch and dinner” or “I will take my multivitamin every day at 7 am.” When your goal is actionable and specific it helps you stay focused and makes it clear whether you are achieving that goal or not.
Focus on What You Can Control
Many of us have weight loss goals in the new year, but setting a goal to “lose 30 pounds in a year” is not ideal. While it would be awesome to lose that amount of weight, you can’t actually control how quickly your body loses weight.
Instead, focus on habits that will get you to your goal. For example, “I will make half my plate vegetables at every meal” or “I will drink a gallon of water daily” are behaviors within your control that could result in weight loss.
Break Goals Down
Let’s say you have a big goal this year, you want to train for a marathon or complete a 20-mile hike. It is easy to get overwhelmed with such a big goal and quit before you even begin.
Instead, break your goal down week by week into smaller goals. For example, if you want to run a marathon, get a training plan that starts out with just a few miles per week increasing it slowly over time. Ask yourself every week “What can I do to get closer to this goal today?”
When you break a big goal into smaller, manageable steps you are more likely to stick with it and not get overwhelmed by too many changes at once.
Plan for Obstacles
It can be easy to get off track, even for the most dedicated among us. Realize that behavior change takes time. There are a lot of starts and stops along the way. Don’t let a slip turn into a slide where you give up completely!
Instead, anticipate challenges and think about how you’ll handle them. If you tend to skip workouts when you’re busy, plan shorter, more intense workouts for crazy days or consider morning workouts to ensure they get done first thing. Set yourself up to be consistent and then don’t beat yourself up if you are not perfect. Just start again the next day.
Celebrate Your Successes
It’s easy to achieve a goal and then simply move on without acknowledging the hard work you put in. Instead, this year celebrate your achievements. Each success is a step towards a healthier you.
If your goal is to have a healthier lifestyle, our line of whole food multivitamins can positively influence your resolutions. Quality products ensure that your body receives the support you need as you work towards your goals. Make this year count by choosing the best for your health and well-being.