{"id":37662,"date":"2017-12-27T15:44:23","date_gmt":"2017-12-27T15:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cronometer.com\/blog\/?p=37662"},"modified":"2024-06-27T14:57:10","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T21:57:10","slug":"setting-successful-new-years-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cronometer.com\/blog\/setting-successful-new-years-resolutions\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Set Successful New Year\u2019s Resolutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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guest post by susan macfarlane, registered dietitian nutritionist<\/h6>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I love setting New Year\u2019s resolutions. The chance to start fresh, turn over a new leaf, and create habits that help me become the best version of myself leaves me feeling optimistic, hopeful, and inspired. And I\u2019m not alone. New Year\u2019s resolutions are set around the world with number one being (you guessed it!) to get healthy and lose weight. Yet, 92%1<\/sup> of people will not meet their New Year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p>

So before jumping in headfirst, take a few minutes to consider what made your previous resolutions unsuccessful, and the strategy you might use this year to foolproof your goals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why New Year's Resolutions Fail<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are many reasons why people do not meet their New Year\u2019s resolutions. Number one that I see is being too focused on the outcome, and not focused enough on the process. You want to lose weight. Wonderful! But what are you going to do to achieve this goal? How are you going to do it? When, where, and why are you going to do it? We can\u2019t just will ourselves to lose weight and get healthy; we need a strategy that is equally focused and flexible.<\/p>

The second most common reason why New Year\u2019s resolutions fail is going too hard, too fast. If your current workout consists of walking to and from the parking lot each day, setting a goal of working out 6 days a week for 2 hours at a time is pretty unrealistic. Not only are you increasing your risk of injury (which is another reason why goals are abandoned), but you may struggle to achieve a work-life balance.<\/p>

It\u2019s also important to mention that your New Year\u2019s resolutions should be, well, YOURS! If you are losing weight or getting fit because someone told you to, it\u2019s unlikely that you will be motivated to pursue this goal for an entire year.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How To Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Less Is More<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Although you may have more than a few things you\u2019d like to change in your life, avoid creating a lengthy list of goals. Not only is such a list overwhelming, but it may increase negative feelings about yourself, causing you to give up before you even start. Instead, set NO MORE than 3 resolutions, choosing those that are most important to you.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Have A Strategy<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Setting a New Year\u2019s resolution is the first step. Next is creating an action plan that details how<\/em> you will meet this goal.<\/p>

For example, if your resolution is to lose 50 lbs in one year, your action plan might include the following actionable items:<\/p>