Redesigned Resolutions
Last night, many people worldwide made resolutions or promises to themselves that would start today. These promises involve fitness, life improvements, cleaner lifestyles, and happiness. When people create these resolutions, do you think they have set plans that are measurable, or are they just words?
Making these changes historically doesn’t last very long. According to Bloomberg (2019), Gyms are usually bursting with new memberships at the start of the year but appear back to pre-new year capacity within weeks. Why is that?
According to Kristi DePaul, in the Harvard Business Review (2021), routines are needed for behavior changes to make things habits, but not everyone will make that transition. DePaul states that there needs to be conscious and deliberate changes with even micro measurements throughout the day to have the best chance of achieving these goals. Then what drives our grand plans of changing parts of us without a plan? Without structure or discipline, we are not setting ourselves up for success.
Perhaps let’s look at this year differently. I am suggesting a theme for the year with smaller goals with monthly measurable changes. You can add the new monthly plan to the existing one to build on your success. For example, if this year is your year to live a healthier lifestyle, maybe each month you work on a tiny task that can take you through the whole theme of the year. Below is a year plan as an example.
January- Make sure all your regular doctors’ and dentist appointments are scheduled for this year
February-Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily (fill up the water bottles for the day so you can see if you reached your goal
March-Make sure you eat a fruit and a vegetable at every meal to increase your food variety
April-Improve your sleep hygiene and make sure you will be in bed early enough to get the best rest you need. Log the time you go to bed for accountability
May-Plan to move your body physically daily- walking, biking, yoga, jogging (I added this later in the year because the temperatures improve in the northeast and make the outdoors easier to tolerate for those who don’t like the cold.
June-Add vitamins to your daily routine to make sure you are supporting your body’s needs (you may want to speak to your doctor about what they suggest)
July-Schedule relaxation time every day-everyone’s body needs down time.
August-Create a coping plan for days that are emotional hard. Pick people who you can lean on, activities that help bring joy, and tasks that can regulate your emotions
September-Don’t forget your mental health is as important as your physical health. Seek out a mental health professional.
October-Plan a vacation from work. You don’t need to go anywhere but make sure you plan to give yourself a chance to reset
November-Socializing or a sense of community is very important to overall health. Don’t isolate.
December-Write down all the things you are grateful for this year. Expressing gratitude for all your years’ accomplishments helps the mind refocus on what we have rather than what we don’t have.
Melissa’s Monthly Tips
1. Measurable goals help you demonstrate if you are making progress.
2. Make the changes small and build checkpoints throughout the day to keep you on track—a reminder alarm or a water bottle that has to be empty.
3. Be realistic about your lifestyle. Make it achievable, not impossible.
4. You can always reset if you get off target. Tomorrow is another 24 hours to try again.
