Monthly Micro Resolutions Can Make Achieving Your Health Goals Easier
Already struggling with your New Year’s resolution? Most will abandon their resolutions as early as February. If you feel like you keep setting goals for yourself and then failing to achieve them, instead of doing the same thing (can you say the definition of insanity?), try something new!
Micro resolutions are small goals that you can achieve in 30 days or less. The goal of the micro resolution is that each goal snowballs into the next, creating a pattern for success. If you don’t accomplish your goal, you start with a clean slate the next month. Here are some tips for successfully setting micro resolutions.
Learn something from the experience. If you set a goal in February and it turns out to be too much for you to accomplish, consider a revised version of that goal for another month and try again. There is no failure, only opportunities to learn and understand what you need to successfully make changes in your life.
Try something new. If you’ve done the same thing over and over and haven’t successfully changed, one reason could be because you keep employing the same strategy. Not making it to the gym? Try a daily walk. Hate the food plan you’re using? Try one that better matches your food preferences and eating style.
Keep it simple! ‘Lose 10 pounds’ is not an achievable goal for 30 days, so break that goal down in to a smaller, more realistic plan for the month. For example, eat breakfast daily or eat a salad daily.
Here is a sample calendar of micro resolutions that are SMART – Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. People who set SMART goals achieve them more consistently than those who do not.
January – Try Whole 30
February – Start journaling daily
March – Read four books
April – Eat a salad daily
May – Do yoga three times per week
June – Drink the proper amount of water daily
July – Meditate daily
August – Bring lunch 2 days per week
September – Do something active for at least 30 minutes daily
October – Volunteer
November – Quit soda
December – Only take the stairs at work