Have your new years resolutions… slipped? Or never got off the ground?
By Gemma Reeves, APD BND BSc (FoodScNut) Health Coach
As we gaze at the fireworks in the sky, dream about the year that was and the year to come, make a resolution (or twelve!), it can bring a sense of hope for the coming year. We hope the calendar will tick over to a fresh chapter and we will magically make better choices.
While this is poetic and can create a sense of drive in us momentarily, some goals may be so big that by the time February rolls round, resolve and habits are slipping. Perhaps changes were never made.
If you can relate to this, know it’s common and try breaking your goal down into small behaviours. We need these small changes to underpin our regular habits, to edge us towards our medium and long-term goals.
Some steps to try:
- Write down your big goals for 2024 then break them into medium-term goals (6 months, 3 months). This can be challenging and take some time.
- Break down your medium-term goals into SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant, time-bound) behaviours.
e.g. I will walk for 20 minutes, two days per week on Mon and Thurs, straight after work with my work friend, starting on Monday 5th Feb 2024. I will track my progress via my fitness app. Furthermore, on Mondays only, I will swap my afternoon (slump) chocolate for some peanut butter on my favourite crackers, commencing Monday 12th Feb 2024.
- Choose only 1 of the SMART behaviours and consider your confidence to execute them. If you are below an 8/10 for confidence, rework your SMART behaviour so they become easier and you feel more confident about execution.
- Life will always get in the way. Write down your barriers and try some troubleshooting. If things just feel too hard rework your chosen SMART behaviour to be different, lower in frequency, duration or intensity. You may need to have a conversation with someone to engage support so the SMART behaviour can happen.
e.g. Chat to your spouse about freeing up time for the behaviour.
- If you are still struggling, think about why it is you want to achieve your goal e.g. So I can a better parent via being physically present with my children, playing some backyard soccer with them on the weekends. Dig deep as this is where the motivation magic can happen! Write it down and display as a reminder.
- Once you have nailed a single SMART behaviour in your routine, add in another small SMART behaviour. Remember, baby steps are the best approach for behaviour change.
- Still need some support? Most states have free telehealth behaviour change support services.