Another year has flown by once again, can you believe it? I must say this every December as New Year’s approaches, but it is truly amazing to look back over 12 months and reflect on all that happened, or didn’t quite get done. Twelve months feels like a really long time when it’s brutally cold in January, but I somehow always find myself pausing in August and saying, “where the heck did this year go?!”

Since it’s January and inevitably you’re reading or hearing from somewhere about New Year’s resolutions, I figured I’d chime in and share my thoughts on whether resolutions are worth making and, if you are planning on setting some goals and making changes, how to go about that in a way that will actually stick.

Resolutions: worthwhile or a waste?

Have you ever actually looked up the definition of “resolution”? According to the (online) dictionary (I mean, really, who has a hard copy one these days anyhow?), resolution means, “a firm decision to do or not do something.” While it might sound well-intended and harmless, my first instinct is to zero in on the word “firm”. When I think about committing to do something in my life, whether it’s related to work, my exercise routine, or my dinner plans, it’s rare that everything goes 100% according to my original plan. Don’t get me wrong, it’s GREAT to have a goal and be confident in your decision to pursue a project or something for yourself, but I think it’s important to realize that change is not linear. There are going to be twists, turns, stops, and starts and heck, maybe even reevaluating and pivoting away something you set out to do because it didn’t quite fit.

Oftentimes I see this with clients when, for example, they make it their year’s resolution to “get in shape”. They strongly voice their desire- although they usually talk about this desire as what I like to call a “surface goal” focusing on their appearance and not necessarily for the real reasons, like confidence, better blood sugars, or to play with their kids. Then they launch themselves into the gym 5 days per week for an hour, busting their butt on the stair master they’ve always hated so much. But then, after about 3 weeks, you know what happens? They get invited to work dinners again and have to skip their gym session. Or they are so sore from leg day that they can’t imagine going back to the gym for another week.

To them, skipping one day, or not being able to “tough it out” through the soreness is enough to make them think they’ve failed. The “what does it matter” attitude sets in and all of a sudden their firm resolve weakens. Not one month after the start of the New Year do they feel like a failure, guilty for not sticking with it, and confused about how they let themselves down again. Just like that, they failed and will never complete their resolution.

To me, this seems like a pretty big waste.

Getting SMART and Making Changes That Stick

I don’t know about you, but feeling like a failure during month 1 of 12 sounds pretty rough and not the attitude or level of self-confidence I want to have going forward. So, while setting a resolution sounds trendy and important, the truth is they can often lead people seeking to change a behavior for the better down a disappointing path.

So, what do I propose instead of resolutions?

It’s not super sexy, but it is a whole lot smarter- actionable goal setting! Unlike “resolution”, the word “goal” sounds so much more hopeful to me! A goal is, “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result”. The words in this definition alone are positive and inspiring and hints that hard work is needed to achieve something that matters to you! Resolutions sound like a one-step, “oh this is easy” target, and we clearly just saw how well that mindset worked out. By establishing a goal and thinking through the steps and effort that are going to be required to get there you will be MUCH more prepared for the journey.

So, let’s take our “get in shape” resolution from above and turn it into an actionable goal. To help you succeed this time, we’re going to put this goal in SMART terms. SMART is an acronym that stands for:

• S- specific, meaning “get in shape” is waaaay to broad and not even an action to begin with

• M- measurable, how are you going to assess your goal progress?

• A- attainable, do you forsee lots of barriers or is this feasible for you right now?

• R- realistic, meaning don’t sign up for a half marathon if you’ve never run a 5k

• T- time bound, give yourself periodic check-ins on this goal to keep your motivation high!

By creating SMART goals you are putting yourself in a more positive frame of mind and choosing goals that are going to work for YOU, and not just anybody who also wants to get beach body abs. Taking a look at “get in shape” we could build a SMART goal of…

• S- attending group body pump classes at my gym

• M- I will plan to go to 3 classes per week

• A- I already go to the gym 2 days, so adding 1 extra day is definitely doable

• R- I love the community of the group classes, they keep me motivated!

• T- after 1 month I’m going to reassess and maybe pick a new class to try

See how this plan is centered around taking specific action, includes an activity you already love, and even allows for change and taking a new direction in your fitness journey? I find that this approach leads to less burnout, more enjoyment, and more long-term success than attempting to “go all out” doing something that feels like punishment.

So, if for the past few years you’ve joined the “new year, new me” bandwagon and made resolutions you can’t keep, consider making a simple SMART goal this month and see how it goes. The next month you can make another one, and the next month another new one, and soon enough you’ll have accomplished more than you ever thought possible.

What SMART goals are you making?

Tell me in the comments or on Instagram via @eat.well.together!