HEALTH CORNER
Rekindle your romance with your New Year ’ s resolution
BY VANESSA SHANNON
Statistically you ’ ve already failed . According to U . S . News & World Report , 80 percent of New Year ’ s resolutions have been tossed aside , forgotten about or cried over by mid-February . But I ’ m here to challenge you : This February , don ’ t become a statistic . Fall back in love with your
New Year ’ s resolution .
Many New Year ’ s resolutions are made out of something we call “ holiday remorse ,” which follows the time between late October and New Year ’ s Eve when we let healthy habits slide . We tend to eat more , drink more , exercise less , spend more money , over-extend our social calendars and allaround make poor choices . Come Dec . 31 at 11:59 p . m ., we draw our line in the sand and make a commitment that it all stops . On Jan . 1 . Or maybe Jan . 2 . Definitely Jan . 3 . You had the best of intentions , but the plan of attack may have been misguided . No matter what your resolution may be — losing weight , exercising more , quitting smoking or focusing on yourself — the commitment you ’ ve made is a goal . And every goal needs a plan of attack . Here are three steps to help you develop your plan and achieve your goal :
1 . CREATE A ROAD MAP : Put thought into how you are going to achieve your goal . Put your thoughts on paper , create a vision board full of pictures and inspirational quotes , or invite a companion on your journey .
2 . IDENTIFY POTENTIAL ROAD BLOCKS IN YOUR PLAN : You know you will face challenges and hurdles along the way ; identify them and take time to think through how you will navigate each road block .
3 . DEVELOP A DETOUR PLAN : Backsliding , relapsing , falling off the wagon — call it what you want . You temporary will lose sight of your goal . Plan ahead for how you will get back on track — without beating yourself up about it .
The third step can be the hardest to overcome . That is when you have to admit you derailed . Forgive yourself , refocus and get back on track , always moving forward .
Vanessa Shannon , Ph . D ., is director of mental performance for Norton Sports Health and University of Louisville Sports Health .
16 EXTOL SPORTS / FEBRUARY 2018