Simplify resolutions to start new year off on the right foot

The beginning of a new year, is a time to start fresh and think about the year ahead. A recent study published by Public Health Nutrition (PHN), found that 40-45 percent of Americans will make one or more New Year’s resolutions around lifestyle, including health behaviors, such as eating healthy, weight loss, exercise or quitting smoking.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 75 percent of people who make a resolution, stick to it within the first week. After six months, the number drops to 46 percent of people, who are still following their resolution.

What is the best way to find a New Year’s resolution and stick with it? Instead of picking a broad goal, like losing weight, pick an easily obtainable goal.

“If you want to lose weight, think about what habits you can change to make it happen,” said Jaime Oswald, MD. “For example, a good goal may be eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, for two weeks. After the two weeks are up, you can reflect and re-evaluate your goals.”

Normally, people procrastinate with their resolutions, because they have the entire year, so it is much easier to obtain a goal in a brief period of time.

“Another good example of a simple New Year’s resolution, would be to exercise five days a week, for two weeks,” said Oswald. “After two weeks, you may realize you were unable to make it to the gym five days a week. This would be a great time to change your goal to something more attainable, like starting with just three days of exercise, per week.”

Being able to accomplish a goal will feel good and it’s more likely an individual will continue with good habits.

“Remember, that the first step to change, is identifying a goal and without setting a New Year’s resolution, there would be nothing to resolve,” said Oswald.

Embrace a healthy start to the new year, by following goal-setting advice from the American Medical Association (AMA):

• Record and visualize goals, to maintain focus. Write them down and display them in visible places, like a mirror, refrigerator or desk. Consider creating a “vision board,” with images that represent goals.

• Identify potential obstacles and plan to overcome them. Alongside goals, outline specific challenges that may be faced, enabling a creation of back-up plans and strategies to address them.

• Establish a support system for accountability and encouragement. Having a network that follows up, encourages and keeps one on track, can significantly contribute to goal achievement. Consider partnering with a friend for gym sessions or races.

• Reflect and re-evaluate monthly. Set reminders to review and adjust goals regularly. Use this time to track progress, make necessary changes and ensure ongoing success, throughout the year.

The New Year also provides a new opportunity to connect with a primary care clinician, as they can provide valuable goal setting advice and help determine SMART goals for the year. Set the following SMART goals, with specific actions:

• Specific – Clearly define a goal as a particular action item (i.e. exercise three days a week).

• Measurable – Attach a quantifiable metric and a realistic timeframe to a goal (i.e. go to the gym three days a week, for a month).

• Attainable – Ensure the goal is realistic, adjusting if necessary, for smaller, achievable wins.

• Relevant – Align goals with genuine aspirations and interests.

• Time-based – Set deadlines for goals to assess progress regularly and make adjustments as needed.

During November, KJ’s fresh market in Cornell, held a fundraiser for the local food pantries, where customers were asked to give through cash contributions or through purchasing non-perishable items. Altogether, the store raised $528.07, that was presented to the pantries in gift cards, and sold 65 bags of food for the food distribution centers. Store director Josh Gindt (center) presented the donations Dec. 22, to Lake Holcombe Food Pantry director Dawn Rank (left) and Cornell Food Pantry director Deb Elertson (right), just as the holiday season hit.

Photo by Ginna Young