With the holiday season, many people are starting to think about goals they want to achieve in the new year. Some may feel overloaded on holiday cookies, cocktails, and cocoa and are looking for a way to get back on track.
It is important to set yourself up for success by making SMART and sustainable goals for the new year.
SMART goals are:
- Specific
- Make your goals narrow and purposeful for enhanced planning.
- Measurable
- Define what success looks like for you. Try and use numbers to measure. For example: eating vegetables with dinner at least 3 nights a week. This will help you know if you have achieved your goal or let you see how close you are to achieving it.
- Attainable
- Make sure this goal is achievable! This is extremely important and aids in making your goals sustainable long term. If you make a goal to lose 20 pounds in 2 months, you are not setting yourself up for success as this is not healthy nor realistic.
- Relevant
- Your new years resolutions should be relevant to your passions and health goals. If they align with your long-term goals, you are more likely to follow through with them.
- Time Based
- Set a specific end date for each one of your goals and make sure this is realistic. Making smaller goals at first is recommended, and you can build from these goals as you succeed!
Health & Wellness Goals for 2022
Here are some SMART goal ideas from a Registered Dietitian to make your resolutions!
- Try eating more plant-based meals!
- This goal will help you increase fiber intake, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- SMART Goal: Eat two plant-based dinners a week for a month, increase to two plant-based dinners, and one plant-based lunch a week in month two.
- Think about hydrating your body
- This goal is crucial to overall mind and body wellness. As an added tip, keep a water bottle around you all day so that you have access! Drinking through a straw can also make drinking water more enjoyable. Lastly, know the ounces of your water bottle so that you can keep track of your intake.
- SMART Goal: Drink 64 ounces of fluid a day. In the first month, include all fluids, moving forward in the next month, only count water in the 64 ounces.
- Add Variety to your plate!
- Adding variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins to your plate increases the variety of vitamins and minerals to your diet.
- SMART goal: Try one new vegetable in a meal every other week for two months!
- Practice Joyful Movement
- Exercise can often feel forced or like a punishment. In 2022, find movements that bring you joy and help with stress relief. Examples of joyful movement could include: hiking, biking, yoga, walking the dog, or even jumping on a trampoline. Buying a new workout outfit or new shoes can help motivate to get you started with joyful movement!
- SMART goal: Find a movement that brings you joy in January. Practice joyful movement three times a week.
- Indulge in Self Care
- Self-care is a great way to help with stress relief, improve mindfulness, and increase mental health. Self-care can look different for everyone; for some it may be taking time away from technology to read, for others it may be investing in skincare, while others look for time for creative outlets.
- SMART goal: Practice self-care for 10 minutes a day, three days a week.
Main Takeaways
While it is not necessary to compose New Years Resolutions, it may motivate and inspire you to make healthy changes going into 2022. Always remember to think SMART, when creating sustainable, long-term goals.