Hammontonians outline goals for the New Year
Page 4 • Wednesday, January 1, 2014 • The Hammonton Gazette
RESOLUTIONS, from Page 1
University of Bristol six years ago, out of
the 3,000 people involved, 88 percent of
those who set a New Year’s resolution for
themselves failed. there aren’t indications
whether that number has increased or decreased, but Dr. ronald Newman, a local
psychologist, offered his tips to sticking
with a resolution during the New Year.
Newman stated clarifying what an individual’s goal may be is the first step, and be
as specific as possible. Having a measurable goal is the key.
“Part of that is aligning goals with what
the person’s values are. if i value my health,
then i want to do more to take care of my
health, and see that as a positive direction
as opposed to a negative. i think it is better
to focus positively on becoming healthier,”
Newman said.
according to Newman, having a set goal
which is reachable and maintainable is the
operative way to develop a New Year’s resolution.
“in terms of making a game plan for
working towards those goals, like if it is
weight then you may look at different options, such as weight watchers or whatever
the plan the person has. You make a plan
that is reasonable and seems within your
reach. You have to maintain focus throughout the year in different ways. a program
like weight watchers helps people keep that
focus on measureable goals that are consistent. for people that have other types of
goals, you could use other means of
reminding you of those goals in
your calendar or any other way you
would handle that,” Newman said.
after an individual comes up
with a specific plan for their New
Year’s resolution, identifying potential barriers can help a person
overcome roadblocks, according to
Newman.
“i think identifying barriers in
achieving your goal can be a wonderful exercise. if a person feels
like they are getting off track with
their goals, being able to identify
those barriers and problem solve
and brainstorm solutions to those
obstacles is a great way to overcome obstacles,” Newman said.
as an individual identifies their
resolution and avoids the temptations that arise from sticking with
the plan, Newman said having a
support system is another way to
help maintain the goal.
“Having support when you’re
doing this and you have others that
have similar goals, you can connect
with those people to provide a support system as you’re working towards those goals. that is a helpful
thing. if there are groups available
and you can connect, i think people
in general are relational and that
can really provide an extra layer of
support,” Newman said.
Newman has a mantra for making a plan, which deals with making a lifestyle change: accept the
thought, but resist the behavior.
“You’re accepting your tempting
thoughts, but resisting the behavior.
You identify what thoughts might
be troubling you, and if i want to
pick out a bag of M & M’s and that
is contrary to your goal, you may
be like ‘i accept that i have that
thought, but i am going to resist
that behavior.’ You can have a little
mantra like that,” Newman said.
Having tempting thoughts can
lead to failure of an individual’s
New Year’s resolution. it could
create more anxiety for that person,
but Newman said it is about having
a positive mindset.
“in the end, i think it is very important from the beginning to the
end to have an attitude, or what i
call an attitude, of grace towards
yourself, so that you’re not condemning yourself either right from
the get-go in terms of where you
are. So you want to accept where
you are at any moment, and start
from that point. Show mercy on
yourself if you’re not achieving
your goals throughout the year.
Your inner critic can beat you up
mercilessly,” Newman sai