Emotional Wellbeing
8 Steps to Achievable New Years Resolutions
22 June 2009
With the end of the year nearly upon us it is a time for reflection, where people look back and remember all those (often broken) promises they made for 2009. People love setting goals for the New Year, with resolutions ranging from the wallet, waistline, head and heart. Unfortunately many of these resolutions are empty promises, randomly thought up as the clock strikes midnight. The good news is, if you are serious about improving your health and are willing to put a little thought into it, a New Years resolution could be just what you need.
Many people spend their lives in ‘chronic contemplation’ about changing the way that they eat, getting physically active or quitting smoking. If you find yourself constantly saying ‘I’d like to eat healthier/be physically active BUT……’ you may just be one of these chronic contemplators and the New Year might just be ‘THE TIME’.
It’s all about confidence and commitment. If you believe that you CAN achieve your goal and you have a strong commitment to changing your habits, you will increase your chance of success. Try these tips to improve the success of your New Years resolution:
- There is no point saying ‘I am going to lose centimetres off my waistline’ if you don’t plan how you are going to find out what to eat and have some support to do it. If you set your goal and start planning before New Year, you’ll avoid those last minute and often unrealistic resolutions.
Try to change one behaviour at a time rather than making radical changes overnight. Start with choosing low fat milk for a week, then move on to eating two pieces of fruit a day and so on.
- Not only will they be able to support you in your change but it will be a source of positive pressure on you to keep it up.
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Change is a process that can take some practice and time. Just because you don’t make it for a walk one day it doesn’t mean that you give up your physical activity routine altogether….tomorrow’s another day!
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If you only say your going to make a change to keep your doctor or partner happy you’ll never be successful because you’re not really committed to the cause.
- Have strategies in place for when life’s problems and stresses get in the way of you trying to achieve your goal.
Keep a record of what you eat or how much physical activity you do. Just the process of writing it down will keep up your motivation.
It can be as simple as a gold star on a calendar for every day you went for a walk. Others find measuring their waist or blood glucose levels and seeing improvement is a reward in itself.
Like any behaviour change, practice makes progress and it helps to have support along the way. If you think you may need additional support with either planning or starting your New Years resolution book an appointment with one of our Credentialled Diabetes Educators – they may even be able to help you out with a healthy choice for Santa!