A key to making those New Year’s resolutions stick in 2024? Think positive.
“I try to focus goals, not really on what the scale says, but what your behavior is. So instead of having a goal, I want to lose 10 pounds, I'll try to say to somebody, I want to have a goal that I will stop eating after 7pm every day,” said Dr. Jake Veigel, a sports medicine physician with Intermountain's LiVe Well Center in Salt Lake City.
Viegel says there’s wisdom in an old standby – SMART goals.
“Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time based. Specific – losing 10 lbs. sounds specific, but it isn’t really.”
You may want to let weight be a secondary issue. Think instead about what you do.
“We try to tell patients that your success is based on behavior, your health is going to be better just by doing healthy behaviors, regardless of what the scale says," said Veigel.
And a goal about behavior will work better if that behavior fits something more central to your identity.
When someone asks what you do outside of work, is there something that you love that you would like to say? Are you a hiker or a skier? Do you love to swim? Do you play with your kids or grandkids? Think about a resolution that brings you closer to the person you want to be, rather than to some ideal weight or measurement.
“When somebody accomplishes a goal, that's more motivating than anything, because you see that success. And the success needs to be realized as if you're doing the behavior, I count that as a win," said Veigel.
Two other keys to that kind of win? Track what you do and share it.
“Something else I would say that helps is to keep writing it down. You're telling yourself what your goals are. But I would also tell a trusted friend, what your goals are. And I would tell somebody who's not afraid to tell you how it is,” said Veigel.
An example – let’s say you decide you want to walk in the morning and observe the world around you. In your calendar, mark down your walk and some aspect of it. If your note says “I was out of breath at the top of the hill down the street,” you’ll feel great in a month when you write, “Felt good at the top of the hill!”
Click here to schedule a LiVE Well Center assessment and get a jump start on your health goals this year.
