It's a new year and a fresh beginning! Turn the page of last year over and you have a fresh, blank page for this year.
Have you scribbled down some New Years resolutions already?
Are you feeling some pressure to get something down on that blank page or are you content to leave it blank? Are you wondering if you should even write any resolutions at all?
By one definition, a resolution is "a firm decision to do or not to do something." There's not a lot of flexibility in a resolution and sometimes that's a good thing. We usually need structure, motivation, and a goal in mind to make progress! So if a resolution is well thought out, it can be really helpful. However, the ones we throw together in 5 minutes before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve aren't always effective. But don't worry, even if you have that New Year's Eve scribbled list of resolutions, you didn't waste your time, you just got a head start!
There's a new way to do the New Year when it comes to your resolutions. I want to share a framework with you so you can actually see those resolutions accomplished! Grab a pen and snag the free worksheet to help you as you go along- you could be set up for a successful new year by the end of this post!
HOPE
Resolutions are all about the hope for better. No one makes a resolution to decrease or see something get worse in their life; it's for the better that we decide to press forward with a resolution! So let's start with hope- in what areas of your life do you already have hope for something better, or what areas do you just know that they need to change? Write those down. Is it your health? Your weight? Your outlook on life? Your closet organization? Bigger or smaller things, include them all.
DREAM
This is the fun part! We need to know what we want to see happen before we can set a goal or resolution. Taking those areas where you have hope, or need hope, for change in your life, spend a few minutes on each one to think about what it could be. What would your health look like if you could change it? How would your weight change if you could change it? Etc. Write down (with details!) what your dream looks like!
Warning: your brain might try to "edit" your dream as you think it, putting limits on it or dismissing it altogether, don't let this happen! Just think about what could be, what you'd actually like to see.
PLAN
Planning is the most critical part of taking those hopes and dreams and turning them into a reality this year! Now that you have some specific dreams of what you'd like to see, we're going to transform those things into something doable for your life. Make sure that each one of those things you wrote down is "SMART":
Specific- includes details, not just broad ideas
Measurable- includes concrete ways to evaluate what has happened
Attainable- it's possible to accomplish
Realistic- it's possible for you to accomplish, in your real life
Timely- includes a time frame (dates/amount of time) for when you will do it or how long it will take
An easy way to start making your resolution SMART is by describing your goal with the specifics of "what," "when," and "how." Then go back and make sure it's actually specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Making SMART plans is the way you're going to take your dreams from up in the clouds and bring them down to reality on earth. This is the key to making resolutions that can actually come to pass because it answers the questions we tend to get overwhelmed by when we go to start a scribbled down resolution.
PLANNING WITHOUT "SMART"
If you had "I want to lose weight" on your paper with nothing else included, once the initial excitement passes, overwhelm will hit. You'll wonder- how am I going to do this? How long is this going to take? And sometimes that overwhelm can bring you to the point of quitting on your dream!
PLANNING WITH "SMART"
But when you have written down, "I'd like to lose 15 pounds in 3 months while working one-on-one with a Dietitian," you'll know what you want to do, when you want to do it, and how you want to do it. Doing this doesn't mean it will happen in exactly that way, but it will prevent that overwhelming feeling from showing up later because you'll have answers in hand.
Now that you've made your dreams into SMART plans, there's one more thing to do- prioritize your SMART plans! Take a look at the time frames for the plans you wrote down. Depending on how many you have, you may need to spread them out throughout the year or even decide to wait on some of them altogether. The truth is, change takes time and effort, so avoiding the temptation to start everything now in January will protect your success!
DO
You've already done a lot by taking the time to HOPE, DREAM, and PLAN! Now, it's time to put the last ingredient in the mix. Break down that SMART plan into SMART steps you can do. What actions will you need to take to put the plan into play? It may seem tedious to write all these things out but you'll be glad you did later! It's the difference between feeling like your goal is waiting at the top of a mountain without a trail or your goal being in sight at the top of a small set of stairs.
Then, take that first step! One step and then another, and then another. And before you know it, your resolutions will get accomplished.
Let's take a weight related dream to see what these steps can look like:
Hope: I want to see change in the area of my weight
Dream: I'd like to lose weight and have less joint pain
Plan: I'd like to lose 15 pounds in 3 months while working one on one with a Dietitian.
Do: I will check out Get RD Nutrition's website and sign up for a Discovery Call
I hope you'll find this useful as you start 2022! Enjoy the freshness of a new year as you hope, dream, plan, and do. If you'd like someone to help you "do" your weight loss resolutions faster and easier, check out Get RD Nutrition- I'd love to help you meet those goals you've set for this year! Happy New Year!
Get RD Nutrition is a virtual nutrition counseling practice for residents of North Carolina- offering weight management counseling, right where you are!
Комментарии