Morgan Brown, M.S.
In February, there is a struggle that many of us face: The death of our New Year’s resolutions. We started strong during the first week of January…or maybe the first day? And things quickly went downhill. The excitement faded, energy dwindled, and the habits and changes that you craved for yourself suddenly don’t feel worth it anymore. This is something that so many of us go through every year, but how do we change that this year?
The first step is to acknowledge that a change needs to happen. Maybe you need to drink more water, eat healthier foods, or exercise regularly. Maybe you need to find a healthy hobby, spend more time with family, or watch less TV. Whatever your goal is, you have made this goal because you were fed up with whatever you were doing before. Lean into that feeling and allow it to push you toward change.
The next step is to come up with a plan. To come up with a plan, you need to make sustainable and realistic daily goals for yourself. Here are some rules for your daily goals:
Make them OBVIOUS.
If you are trying to drink more water, keep a gallon of water on the counter for you to see every day. If you are trying to eat healthier, put the carrots at the front of the shelf in the fridge. If you want to exercise more, set out your workout clothes for the next day so you can’t miss them.
2. Make them FUN.
If you want to exercise, but you hate running, don’t make it your goal to run a mile every day. Try yoga, zumba, weight lifting, walking, or sports. If you want to watch less TV, don’t make yourself read the dictionary instead. Do something that you enjoy when you would normally watch TV. Goals don’t have to be boring to mean something.
3. Make them EASY.
If you want to read more, don’t make it your goal to read a whole book before you go to bed at night. Make your goal to read for two minutes or to read one page a day. If you want to cut sugar out of your diet, don’t make it your goal to never eat sugar again. Make it your goal to only eat one dessert a day instead of two, or two desserts instead of three. Make it easy and achievable.
Once you make a plan of daily goals that follow these rules, remind yourself of the first step to keep you going. You were fed up with how things were, so keep achieving daily wins to see change in your life.
These things apply to any and every age, including your kids! If your kids, preteens, or teenagers have goals for themselves, sit down with them and help them make a plan. Encourage them each day, and congratulate them on their achievements and their daily wins. Make it a big deal because it is! Now, if a new habit for your kids is not necessarily their choice, but something that has to change for their health, that’s a little different. In this case, the family needs to sit down together and create a plan for change. If you realize that your child is eating too much junk food, make a goal for the family to eat better, not just the child. If the child sees that they are the only ones having to make a change, I’m sure you can imagine the tantrum that is sure to follow. In this planning meeting, give the child some options for daily goals. Let them pick from a list of healthier meal options, hobbies that don’t involve screens, or a family activity. Let them take some ownership of the plan so they feel like they have truly achieved something, not just made to do something they never wanted to do.
Finally, continuously encourage each other and allow your kids to encourage you too! You all deserve a healthier you and every win is a big one for you and your family.
Morgan is accepting new patients. If interested, please contact our office!