4 Effective Tips for New Year's Goals For All Year Success

By Debra Atkinson 

 

Contemplating a change? Want to lose a few pounds? Are you going to vow to get to the gym more regularly? You're committing to eating better? This is not the first time you've set goals. In fact, this may not be the first time you've set this very same goal.

Let's dissect it and make it better. The traditional problem with goal setting around an outcome that involves behavior is that we focus on outcome and ignore the actions. If for instance, you wish to lose 10lbs. this month: you may break that into weeks and tell yourself that's 2.5lbs. each week. You may indeed begin to exercise and declare that you're going to "eat better."

What's wrong with that picture? First, this is a very common goal setting mistake. Many of the wellness clients I've coached have tried similar over and over. The problem? They do lose weight but they also gain it back. What's missing from the example above are several key ingredients to your success both by the end of the month and maintaining the new goal.

Clarify the fact that you don't just want to lose weight. You want to remove it. You want it gone forever, right? So lets address what has to be present in order to do that.

1. Do set SMART goals. However, make them about the actions you need to take.

• The specific number of days and minutes you plan to exercise the first week, the second week, the third week and so on is crucial.
• Using a number makes that goal measurable: during week one you can already achieve success because you clearly know what it is, while if you were trying to achieve 2.5lbs weight loss you unfortunately just can't control that.
• Actions are your best friend. Plan to walk at 5:15 when you hit the door after work three days a week the first week. Plan to increase the number of servings of vegetables daily to a consistent four the first week. Plan to go to bed 30 minutes earlier every night the first week. Depending on your goal, set the action that you can control.
• Making a goal realistic is where we often fail in our goal setting attempts. The biggest error here is in trying to change everything at once. The clients I work with who are successful focus on one major change at a time. Defining eating better as not skipping meals and increasing plant-based foods, decreasing eating out they focus on that once they are already exercising. While it's true a second good habit often does emerge while you're doing another, narrow your focus to one and you'll have better success tackling them each one at a time. It's not that you're leaving one behind. You'll add it once the first new behavior is automatic.
• Setting a goal for change based on time is both good and bad. I've observed many exercisers begin a "bootcamp" or eight week session and stop when it's over. That's evidence that there was not a behavior change occurring. If you want long-term change you'll need to think about adapting the actions you take for a forever lifestyle. For many, enrolling in an exercise program gives them accountability they need. Focus on the positive ways you feel because you're doing it. When you travel or have days off of the program, create your own same time of day substitute activity. Seek programs that encourage you to do things on your days off.

2. Think about your new goals and the habits you need to either stop or start with integration with the other parts of your life. Too often we try to isolate a behavior or activity without regard to other people or activities we have going on already. How will your family be affected? What do you need to do before and after the actions required for your goals? Planning your goals in this way gives you the big picture. You'll be less likely to get derailed because you have done this and considered what obstacles you'll have to overcome. You'll know what support you need to ask for from others.

3. Before you even begin a habit change think about maintenance. It is very likely the number one cause of goal failure. For weight loss, the reality is that maintenance takes greater focus than the actual change. Your body is going to fight the lower weight and it's easy for it to slowly creep back on. Consider whether you can stay as dedicated for your life as you're starting for four weeks.

4. Don't go it alone. Seek support. Journaling, tracking whether by hand or with apps can help. Asking a friend or relative to hold you accountable. In order for that to work you need to really report your goals and whether you did them: a simple question of how it's going won't do the job. If you have a trainer or a coach, even better. Before you seek one, ask about references. How many people with your goal have they helped? Did they have long-term success? If you need to for time or budget constraints use self-tracking, treat yourself as if you were your own coaching client and set a time each week for a "come to coaching" meeting.