Rethinking Your Resolutions: Setting Them Up For Success
by Kati Mora, MS, RD
At the start of every new year, one important question lingers – will you or won’t you set a New Year’s resolution?
If you ask the question enough, you’ll find people in both camps. Some believe resolutions are doomed to fail (we’ll call this group A) while others are assured that this year will be the year they succeed at achieving their often lofty, unspecific, out-of-left-field goal (we’ll call this group B).
Looking at the numbers, it would appear that group A has it right. After all, according to the statistics, only about 10% of Americans will stick with their resolution after the first month it is set. That’s pretty staggering and discouraging. If most people will fail, then really what’s the point?
Unfortunately, I believe the reason so many people fail at following through on their resolutions is that they don’t believe they can be a part of that 10%. The odds are just too highly stacked against them. They give up before they even begin.
Let’s go back to group B; our group of individuals embracing resolutions and hoping for the best. Our successful resolution keepers will be found in this group, but they don’t just have a dream. They have a plan, and a plan is the most important piece of any resolution. Without it, your dream will never become a part of your reality. Without it, you’ll never make it into that elite 10%. Without it, you’ll soon give up on setting resolutions all together.
So this year, don’t give up. Instead, rethink your resolutions. We often hear that resolutions should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely; but what if we instead applied these principles to the game plan we create to make our resolution happen? By doing so, our dreams can be as big as we want them to be.
No matter what your healthy resolutions are this year, I hope you’ll think big and plan small. If you didn’t set a resolution because they tend to fail, rethink your stance. Take a chance on you and see what happens. Whether you fully succeed or not at implementing your dream, I highly doubt you’ll regret the changes you do make along the way.
Want even more healthy resolution ideas? Check out this article online for additional insight from thePlate Community bloggers!