January 2022How to Create New Year’s Resolutions That Last!
By Emma Cutting and KRNC staff
This time of year can be refreshing and motivating as we focus on new beginnings. While many diet plans, cleanses, and “miracle” programs may offer a quick fix and help you reach your New Year’s resolutions, we are here to assure you there is a more sustainable way to make lifestyle changes that actually last. Get ready to learn how to write effective goals that will set you up for success!
Making changes that last starts with clear goals
Whether you’re working on a New Year’s resolution or a behavior change goal, there are many factors that can stand in the way of achievement. Many people lose sight of their resolutions after 3-4 weeks because making lifestyle changes is hard and it is easy to overcommit and get overwhelmed. We get stuck when we create too many broad goals! “I want to eat healthier….exercise more…waste less food…cook more…etc.,” you get the picture. Even if you’re feeling motivated to change many parts of your life, its important to narrow your focus and get specific. Try to focus on fewer goals, you can always take on more when you have achieved these! Think about what you want to change and why you want to change it—what are you hoping that change is going to do for you? What do you imagine it’s going to take to get there?
Get SMART about your planning
Now that you have your goals, its time to plan out your path. There is an acronym-based goal setting guide that can help you do this known as SMART goals. “SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. When you are sitting down to write your resolutions, use SMART goals to plan for success.
In general, the SMART goal method is used to help you think through the different aspects and steps that you are taking to achieve your resolution. SMART goals offer much-needed structure and help expand planning deeper than “I want to eat more fruits and vegetables”. This process ultimately helps to put goals into action and forecast barriers and solutions.
How do you write SMART goals?
Use the following SMART goal process to help guide your way when goal setting. Writing SMART goals can look different depending on the type of goal that you are trying to achieve. Follow each SMART step and think about the motivation behind the changes that you want to see.
Specific: Start here! What are you trying to accomplish? Think about what you want to change and get detailed. Describe exactly what you want to do! “Eat healthier” is not specific, but “Include more vegetables in my dinners” is a step in the right direction.
Measurable: Ask yourself “How can I measure this?” This step helps you visualize your goal and evaluate your progress along the way. Having a measurable goal gives you parameters for tracking and assessing your progress and creates a sense of accountability. “Include more vegetables in my dinners” becomes “Plan to cook vegetables in my dinners every night this week.” Now you have something to measure and a clearer plan.
Achievable: Here’s a checkpoint—do you have the resources, tools, and information you need to achieve your goal? What’s needed to help you achieve this goal? Would it be helpful to ask family and friends for their favorite vegetable recipes? Will you need to create a grocery list? Include these steps as part of your goal so you have a clear plan.
Realistic: To avoid setbacks and false starts, be honest with what you can take on. Yes, challenge yourself, but also set yourself up for feeling successful. Maybe committing to cooking 2 side veggies every night to get started doesn’t feel realistic, but does 1 veggie per night feel more doable? Or cooking 4 days instead of all 7?
Time-Bound: Commit to a time frame. Is this a goal for this week? This month? Although we’re talking about lifestyle changes and not recommending a “finish line” (like a diet), it can be helpful to establish a timeframe as a mile marker.
“Eat Healthier” now has a SMART plan: Increase my vegetable intake by adding in 1 vegetable side to my dinners at least 4 nights this week. Ask family/friends for favorite veggie side recipes and create a grocery list Sunday, grocery shop on Monday and cook Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Remember, stay flexible!
It’s important to evaluate your goals and your progress often and adjust as needed. Life changes and so will your goals, and that’s OK! There may be times when you do not stick to your plan or you change your priorities. Learning, stumbling, and readjusting is a valuable part of growing and changing. Reflect on what barriers stood in the way of meeting your goal, where did the plan change and how might you approach it differently next time. Lifestyle change is about practice and learning what works/doesn’t work for your life. Change can be hard, but its even harder without a plan. Set yourself up for success and give SMART goals a try!
Get to know our author:
Emma Cutting is a senior majoring in Food Science and Human Nutrition. She is most interested in nutritional science and clinical nutrition. Cutting is a huge advocate for using food as medicine and it’s something she wants to focus on a lot in her future endeavors. She is also interested in getting more involved in community nutrition as well. A fun fact about Cutting is that she also works at a microbiology lab at a hospital in Loveland.
More Information
For additional resources for healthy eating, check out these programs from our registered dietitian nutritionists. Find delicious and healthy recipes on our Recipes page! More health tips are also available at the College of Health and Human Sciences Pinterest board. Lastly, don’t forget to sign up for the KRNC monthly newsletter!
