The New Year is here, and with it comes the urge to start fresh. Most of us will pick a resolution: eat better, exercise more, take care of our mental health, pick up a hobby, or start something new. It all has to start somewhere, and starting is the hard part. Big changes are tough to stick with when you don't have a plan.
In this post, we'll cover the usual reasons resolutions fall apart, then walk through a simple way to set one you can keep.
Start your New Year snack toolkit
Why People Fail To Stick To Their New Year's Resolution
There's no single reason resolutions fail. Life gets in the way. But a few patterns show up again and again.
First, we take on too much, too fast. If you start a new diet, a new workout routine and two new hobbies in the month after the holidays, you're setting yourself up to burn out. Then it's back to Netflix and a pizza party of one.
Second, results take time. A 2016 study from the University of Chicago found that the biggest predictor of whether people stuck with long-term goals was whether they got an immediate reward along the way. Delayed payoff just isn't much of a motivator. You say you're going to the gym for your future health, you don't enjoy it today, you don't see results quickly, and you stop going. The first few weeks of anything new are usually the worst. Add gloomy January weather, post-holiday blues and work stress, and nobody's having fun until results show up a couple of months later.
Third, a lot of us go all or nothing. We jump from zero to 100 with no warm-up. If you haven't dieted in years, a super strict plan is close to impossible. When you miss it, instead of adjusting the goal, you call it a failure and quit. You can't run a marathon if you haven't done any cardio in years.
Last, there's the starting line itself. We love a clean start: a Monday, the first of the month, January 1. The New Year is a good time to reflect and set goals, but it also makes slipping up feel bigger. Instead of picking back up where we left off, we wait for the next clean start. Maybe next year?
How To Set A New Year's Resolution
So we tend to set goals that are too big, take on too much at once, and lose steam when there's no quick reward. Resolutions are either too vague to be useful or too hard to finish. They work better when they're specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. That's the SMART goal method.
SMART gives you a checklist for shaping a goal. It helps you get clear on what you want, focus your effort, and use your time well.
Using SMART
Specific
A vague goal is hard to work toward. When you write yours, try answering these questions:
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Why does this goal matter to me?
- Who is involved?
- Where will it happen?
- What resources or limits are involved?
For example: "I want to follow a regular exercise routine and a low-carb eating plan to improve my health and have more energy for my family."
Measurable
A goal you can measure is a goal you can track, and tracking keeps you going. Seeing progress helps you stay focused and gives you a little boost as you get closer.
Ask yourself: How much? How many? How will I know when I've done it?
For example, you might decide to exercise a set number of times each week and stick to your eating plan most days, then check in every week to see how you're doing.
Achievable
Your goal should stretch you, but it still has to be possible. Ask: How can I actually do this? Is it realistic, given my time and budget?
For example, think about your past experience with exercise and diets. Do you have time for the workouts? Do you have time to cook the meals? Can you afford it?
Relevant
Make sure the goal matters to you and fits with the rest of your life. Other people can support you, but the goal should stay yours.
A relevant goal gets a "yes" to these questions:
- Does this seem worthwhile?
- Is this the right time?
- Does it fit with my other goals and needs?
- Am I the right person to do this?
For example, is now the right time to add a new routine? If you change how you eat, how will your family feel about the new meals at the table?
Time-Bound
Every goal needs a target date. A deadline gives you something to work toward and keeps everyday tasks from crowding out the bigger goal.
Ask: When? What can I do six months from now? Six weeks from now? Today?
For example, a new eating and exercise routine might mean learning to cook different meals or work out in a new way. How long will that take you? Do you need help getting started? Give yourself a realistic timeline for the smaller steps that get you to the big one.
Treat your goals to better cookies
We hope SMART helps you narrow down your resolution options and pick something you can stick with for the long haul. Pick something you want to change for good, not just for January. Change takes time, and results come from consistency. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
If you're changing how you eat, two places to start are a low-carb diet and intermittent fasting. And do yourself a favor: prep your meals ahead so a lack of options doesn't tempt you. Tossing a pack of our cookies in your bag helps too. :)
