by Lida Johnson
The new year is here, and you know what happened. Resolutions. Upwards of 70% of people have a New Year’s resolution, and nearly every one of those has some component of feeling better, losing weight, or getting in shape. Sadly, only 8% of New Year resolutions are successful. How can you be more successful? Three things can dramatically improve your success. First, write out your mission statement. That is your “why.” Why is this resolution or change important to you? Second, write down your goal(s). And lastly, have someone hold you accountable. For the sake of this article, I will speak towards goal setting. Goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-oriented.)
Be Specific - identify precisely what you want to accomplish. Saying “I want to look good by next summer” is not specific enough.
Make sure it’s measurable – establish criteria for measuring progress toward each goal set. If the goal cannot be measured, it can’t be managed.
Make it attainable – the most important goals should be challenging but still attainable. Saying, “I want to run a marathon next month” isn’t very attainable.
Be realistic – It simply means that the goal is within your availability of resources, knowledge, and time.
Time-oriented - Set a time frame. Putting an endpoint on a goal gives you a clear target to work towards, and without that, there is no urgency to start.
When you are putting together your goals, keep in mind there are different kinds. I recommend one of each.
Outcome goals focus on a tangible and specific goal. For example, you want to lose a specified amount of weight in a specified amount of time.
Performance goals focus on achieving a certain standard independent of others. For example, you want to walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes.
Process goals focused on actions! For example, you want to include a certain number of vegetables in your meals daily.
It’s important that as you create your goals, you write them down. And then tell everyone your plan and find someone to hold you accountable. Just saying them doesn’t have the same effect nor nearly the same success. So, let’s put it all together in an example. A goal may be, “I want to lose 15 pounds by my daughter’s wedding three months from now. I will accomplish this by walking on the treadmill or outside for at least 30 minutes a day, six times a week. I will include at least five servings of vegetables a day and drink at least nine, 8oz glasses of water.”
When you are tired and don’t want to do your goal, or you have eaten poorly for the last couple of days, or you’re just feeling like your off-track, hit that re-set button – revisit your mission statement and goal. And if you need more motivation, a personal coach can help by giving you the support you need to attain your resolutions this year.
Lida Johnson, Owner, Head-to-Toe Coaching, where I help people be their Best Self. Certified Personal Trainer. Certified Nutritionist. Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Coach. Weight Loss Specialist. Behavior Change Specialist. Certified Group Fitness Instructor. Lifetime Learner. facebook.com/groups/headtotoecoaching. HeadToToeCoaching@gmail.com. 203.260.2880.
