If you’ve decided to improve your health this year you may be part of the 29% of Canadians ready to make that change.
In the US, only a slim 37% say they will make a New Year’s resolution and this number seems high in comparison to countries like Sweden where only 12-18% of the population take part.
The problem is, is that most New Year’s resolutions dwindle anywhere between one and four months depending on where you reside. In 2019 Strava conducted a study using 800 million user activities to determine the exact date people tend to give up on their resolutions – this date is January 19th, also known as “Quitter’s Day.”
My curiosity has always begged the question as to what inhibits our ability to reach our highest potential for our health and wellbeing?
Why is it that some achieve their goals effortlessly and others struggle? According to a survey conducted by Time2Play most Canadians say it’s due to losing track of their progress, lacking motivation, or simply forgetting.
In holistic health we consider the whole person in creating a wellness plan, each case is carefully designed to help support the desired outcome. Mapping out your own successful road to health should take on a similar itinerary- here are some of my favorite tips.
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
– Antoine de Saint- Exupéry
Start where you are: Your health goals are not a race. The Trans Theoretical Model of Behavior Change (Prochaska, Di Clemente) breaks down the process of the behavior of change into 6 stages:
a) Pre-Contemplation
b) Contemplation
c) Preparation
d) Action
e) Maintenance
f) Termination.
The beauty of this structure is that it isolates each step and acknowledges its part in the bigger picture. This helps us to understand where we are and what to expect from a behavioral aspect as we move forward.
Each step fuels the next one. If you find yourself in “pre-contemplation”- all the better, maybe your goal this year will simply be to work up to the preparation stage.
“The road to hell is paved on good intentions”
The definition of a goal is an object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. Goals are concrete, think SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound.)
An intention is more fluid and requires mindfulness. It is defined as a determination to act in a certain way.
A goal and intention together become:
i.e: My goal is to lose 50 pounds by July 1st and I intend to show up daily with love/patience/trust.
“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”
– James Clearly (Atomic Habits)
Narrow your depth of field: Losing fifty pounds can seem like a dream come true if that is what your body needs. But when the time comes it can easily and predictably become daunting, especially when the desired outcome is so far away.
The trick is to break down big goals into bite size pieces- small changes in your daily activities towards your goals add up. Aim to lose two pounds a week, by incorporating small changes such as adding an hour walk one week, eliminating nighttime snacks the next, adding more vegetables to your plate at each meal and so on.
Two pounds a week x 25 weeks = mission complete by July!
“Small wins are exactly what they sound like, and are part of how keystone habits create widespread changes.”
– Charles Duhigg ( The Power of Habit)
Celebrate your mini achievements– Acknowledging hard work lights up the rewards center of our brain, so why not make every week count? Not only does it feel good, but it helps to keep your eye on the prize.
Create a visual goal board and track those mini goals with stickers. Changing habits is challenging but VERY doable, make it fun. You deserve to be celebrated!
“Optimist: Someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha.”
Bullet proof your mindset for success– Allow room for failure. Yes, you heard me, if anything I encourage my clients to mess up, this is where the golden nuggets of opportunity are hidden… in the deep dark caves of our failures.
After all author, Angela Ducksworth (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance) will tell you that grit trumps natural talent almost every single time. So allow yourself to feel the blow but find your way back up, straighten out your collar dust yourself off and keep going.
Every journey has many steps, we are each responsible for how we map out the path to our destination. We should always familiarize ourselves of potential setbacks; know our strengths and weaknesses before embarking on certain trails and ALWAYS carry an emergency kit and a positive mindset for the unexpected.
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