Resolutions, Stress and Goals

Well, it’s that time of year again. If you’re like most people you’ve made some resolutions and are already stressed out about keeping them.  In fact, maybe you’ve made resolutions before.  Did you stick to your resolutions?  At this time of year the most common resolutions are to lose weight, eat healthier, go to the gym and get out of debt.  But usually by March these resolutions are just a vague memory (some may already be history).

But why is that?  Well, if you look up the word “ resolution” in the dictionary it means a declaration or promise.  And a declaration is simply a statement or announcement.  If you really want to lose weight or eat healthier or any of the other resolutions you made, you need to make a goal.  So take five minutes out of your day, sit down, and go through the resolutions you made.  Are these things you really want?  If so, take five more minutes and create a goal.  Better yet… create a smart goal.  A smart goal is specific, measurable, actionable, reachable, and time specific.  An example of a weight loss goal might be: I weigh 130 lbs by 1 June by losing 5 lbs a month for the next 5 months.

A written goal is great and will help you achieve what you want to accomplish but you still need to take action.  The best way is to chunk it down into manageable steps so you don’t feel overwhelmed.  The way to do that is to create an action plan for your goal. Steps in your action plan for the sample above might contain things like go swimming once a week, go to the gym twice a week, eat more vegetables and less protein and park the car farther away so you have to walk more, etc.

Once you have your steps written down start to implement them. It helps if you write your goals each night for the next day and then review them during the day.  As you complete them don’t forget to check them off. This gives you a feeling of accomplishment. If you’re like me, try to vary your routine so you don’t get bored.

This may seem difficult at first as most new routines take about 30 days to become a habit. If you slip and miss one or more of your steps don’t stress out…we’re all human. Just be persistent and start again. And remember… whether you slip are not, none of your time or activity has been wasted.

P.S. - New research shows that it takes about 10,000 steps to stay healthy but because most jobs, now, are more sedentary, the majority of us only walk between four and 6000 steps a day.  I have created an activity conversion chart to give you some suggestions on how to incorporate an extra 2000 steps into your day.  Download your copy today.

Health Tip - "Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

Experiment with freshly chopped herbs to add flavor to food without butter or oil.