New Year, New Habits!

New Year, New Habits!

 

The new year is a great time to set new goals.  About half of all Americans make a New Year’s Resolution and about 45% of them are successful after 6 months.  What is the secret to keeping your resolution?  Setting goals that are S.M.A.R.T.  S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

 

Specific: “I will exercise more” is not specific.  “I will take the stairs every morning” or I will run on a treadmill for 20 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday morning” is much better.

 

Measurable: Your goal should be measurable so you can keep track of your progress.  You cannot measure “more” but you can measure “3 times per week”.

 

Attainable: You should be able to reach your goal.  “I will walk for 30 minutes after dinner every day” may not be attainable during the winter when the sun goes down very early.

 

Realistic: Most people cannot run for 2 hours every day.  That goal is not realistic.  “I will run for 15 minutes” is probably more realistic.

 

Timely: Long-term commitments can be overwhelming, so goals should include a time frame.  “I will bike to work at least 1 time this week.”  Just focus on this week.

 

For example, a student could make the following New Year’s Resolution:  I will bike to school at least 2 times every week during January.  “Bike to school” is more specific than “exercise”.  “At least two times” is measurable.  It is attainable because her school has a shower she can use.  Without the shower, she probably would not want to bike.  Some days may be too cold or wet to bike, so 2 times every week is realistic.  It also has a time frame: during January!

 

Experts also suggest finding a buddy to help you keep your resolution.  Your buddy does not need to have the same resolution, but he or she can give you support and encouragement.

 

One last note of encouragement, do not give up if you slip!  Instead, think about why you did not reach your goal that week and try again.  You might need to adjust your goal to make it more realistic or attainable.  For example, I set the biking goal last semester, but stopped biking when the weather got cold.  I asked for winter biking clothes for Christmas and am ready to try again.

 

Diabetes management is a year-round process.  Remember that you can set new goals at any time, not just in January.  Good luck and happy new year!

 

 

Article By Katherine George, Diabetes Association of Atlanta Intern from Emory University

 

Citation:  Some of this information was adapted from http://caloriecount.about.com/article/how_to_set_smart_nutritional_goals