Ditch the Resolution. Set a SMART Resolution for 2021.

A hot topic of conversation this time of year is New Year’s Resolutions.  Research done by Discover Healthy Habits revealed that there’s a near even 50/50 split of people who make resolutions versus those who don’t.  The number one reason why people don’t make a resolution is that they’ve been unsuccessful in keeping resolutions in the past so why bother.  Of those surveyed who made a resolution in 2019 only 7% were successful in keeping their resolution.  7%!!!  That means that 93% gave up before the year’s end.  With those odds I’d be hesitant to make a resolution.

  

But hold on.  Don’t stop reading just yet.  There is hope for New Year’s Resolutions.

The #1 reason why people said that they were unsuccessful in keeping their resolution is that their resolution was unrealistic.  Looking at the statistics of resolution maintenance throughout the year, the percentage of people holding strong to their resolution dropped month by month.  This demonstrates to me that the timeliness of a typical resolution is too long.  It’s tough to wait twelve months to acknowledge success. 

Wait a minute – do two of the words in that paragraph look familiar to some of you?  Realistic.  Timely.  Don’t we find them in the goal acronym – SMART? 

Let’s look at the most popular resolutions of 2020 and see how we can make them SMART Resolutions for 2021.

Resolution: I will eat better in 2021.

SMART Resolution: I will eat one piece of fresh fruit five days a week in January.

Resolution: I will get in shape in 2021.

SMART Resolution: I will take a walk four times a week in January.

Resolution: I will save money in 2021.

SMART Resolution: I will set-up an automatic transfer of $50 from every paycheck to my Savings Account by January 31, 2021.

You might be asking yourself, “These are SMART goals, but what about the other eleven months of the year?”  Well, who says that a resolution can only be made on January 1^st and must end on December 31^st?  One of my personal mottos is: 

Set Small Goals, Celebrate Often

 By January 31 your January resolution has become a habit.  HIGH FIVE!!  So you keep doing that one and set another resolution on February 1^st.

Resolution: I will eat better in 2021.

SMART Resolution: I will eat one piece of fresh fruit five days a week in January.

SMART Resolution: I will eat one vegetable five days a week in February.

Twelve months from now on December 31, 2021 you will have developed several new healthy habits resulting in you “eating better in 2021.”

I encourage you to not quickly brush off the idea of setting a New Year’s Resolution.  Instead, pause and consider how setting a SMART Resolution for yourself this year can change your life.

 

Resources:

www.discoverhappyhabits.com

Photo credit: www.fairygodboss.com, www.pinterest.com, www.blog.v-comply.com, www.goodnewsnotebook.com, www.vectorstock.com

3 Tips for Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

Today I celebrate a New Year's Resolution that I made eight years ago and have kept ever since.  Eight years ago I was overweight, over-stressed and about to go over the edge.  I resolved to get healthy in 2010 and to do that by training for and completing a 5k.  Eight years later, I weigh less, handle my stress better and am an overall much happier person.  How did I accomplish that?  Here are three simple things that I did to help me be successful.

1. Make a PLAN.
In my family, my father is famous for reminding us to PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN.  It's one thing to state your resolution.  But how are you going to do it?  You want to travel more?  When?  Where?  How?  You want to spend more time with your family?  What are you going to do?   When are you going to get together?  Eight years ago I wanted to get healthy.  How was I going to accomplish that?  By training for and completing a 5k.  I chose a local 5k and registered for it.  I found a training plan on-line and mapped out how I would follow it marking training runs on my calendar.  I planned my work.



2. Be PURPOSEFUL in working your plan.
Talking is easy.  I can talk with others about what I plan to do.  Great conversation take place in my head about what I'm going to do.  Creating a plan is easy.  I can write anything I want on my calendar or make charts all day long.  In order to truly make a plan work you must put it into action.  That means making decisions that go along with your plan.  Reminding yourself of your resolution.  Actually doing what you said you were going to do.  For me, that meant posting motivational quotes and reminders of training deadlines around my home, car and desk.  Making the conscious choice to get off the couch and head out the door for a run.  Asking family and friends to hold me accountable.  I worked my plan.



3. Be PATEINT with yourself.
Nobody is perfect and change does not happen overnight.  There were days that I just couldn't get myself together to get out for that training run.  Sometimes that happened two or three days in a row.  I didn't throw in the towel and give up.  No.  I forgave myself, tied my running shoes and got out there.   You're going to mess up.  That's a fact.  Accept it and move on.  Don't let a single mistake or bad decision knock you off track.  Stand up and start again.  It's ok.  Be patient with yourself.



Eight years ago I resolved to get healthy and I set in motion the plan to do that by training for and completing my first 5k.  I beat the statistical odds of New Years Resolutions by successfully keeping my Resolution.

Me and my brother-in-law at the Finish Line of my first 5k - April 2010



And guess what?  Eight years later I am STILL holding tight to that resolution.  Every year I set a few goals for myself.  I PLAN out how I'm going to accomplish them.  I PURPOSEFULLY make decisions sticking with that plan.  And I am PATIENT with myself when things don't go as planned.

2017 Pittsburgh Marathon
Team Muscle Relay Team



If you are serious about making a change in your life - whether it's health/fitness related or not - YOU CAN DO IT!  It will take work and time and sacrifice, but it is possible and it is worth it.

Wishing you the happiest and healthiest 2018!

Don't Give Up! 3 Tips to Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

It's about this time of the year that people start bailing on their New Year's Resolutions.  In fact, according to the University of Scranton's research, only 8% of people who make a resolution actually keep it.  Before you throw out your goal, your hopes, your dreams for a new and different year, take a second to read this . . .

I started every year as one of the 92% who never keep their resolutions.  The new year would kick-off and I'd feel motivated and enthusiastic.  This was the year that I was going to make drastic changes in my life.  Eat healthier.  Lose weight.  Help others.  Get organized.  Make my bed everyday.  Never yell at my kids again.  By the end of January real life would creep in and I'd stumble and then fall flat on my face.  Forget that resolution!  I'd be mad at myself for a few days, but then life would go on and I'd forget about any desire to improve myself.

The streak ended in 2010.  That year I was one of those 8%.  I kept my New Year's Resolution and my life would never be the same.  I resolved to complete a 5k.  Coming from someone who had never run even the shortest of distances that was a pretty daring goal to set.  Amazingly, on April 10, 2010 I completed my first 5k.  Since then I have set and kept my New Year's Resolutions every year.  How does that happen?  I do three simple things.

1. I set SMART Resolutions.  

My resolutions were always vague and unrealistic.  I will be healthier this year!  What exactly does that mean?  I will not yell at my kids this year.  Really?  You don't think they're going to push you to your limits at least once in the next 12 hours let alone 12 months?  I will lose 50 pounds this year.  Is that possible?  Yes - for some people.  But I know myself.  The minute the scale shows a gain I will feel defeated and bow out.  

In 2010, my resolution was a SMART one.  I will run a 5k this year.  It's specific.  You can read that sentence and know exactly what I'm aiming to do with no explanation.  It's measurable.  I either complete 3.1 miles or I don't.  It's achievable.  3.1 miles isn't that far (Though at the time it felt like I was asking myself to run around the world!).  I could accomplish that without killing myself.  It's realistic.  Looking at my life at the time and the training needed to achieve this goal, I felt that I could handle it.  I also had several friends who ran and were great examples to me that I could do this.  It's timely.  I had one year to complete it.  Or once I picked a race - until April 10th.  

2. I Share my Resolutions with others.

Sharing your Resolutions with others allows them to cheer you on when times get tough, celebrate with you and hold you accountable.  When I keep things to myself, negative self-talk fills my mind. "You can't do this."  "You're crazy."  "You know you're going to fail."  I have a small group of trusted friends and family whom I share EVERYTHING with about my resolutions.  They've listened to me whine.  They've jumped up and down with me to celebrate victories.  They've caught me sneaking into the Break Room tip toeing towards the vending machines and called me out on it, 

Back in 2010, I told everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - about my goal of completing a 5k.  That is actually what kept me going.  There were several times during my training that I wanted to quit and one key moment when the race first started that I was ready to head to the car.  Each time I thought of how many people I had told (Why had I posted my goal on Facebook?!?) and how embarrassing it would be to have to say that I quit.  

3. I Stick to it even when I fall.

This is probably the MOST important.  No one is perfect.  Life is not always fair.  There are going to be mountains to climb and valleys to cross.  When I mess up or miss a step, the key is for me to pick myself up and keep going.  Even if that means going back and starting again.  

When I was training for that first 5k, I had a string of three weeks when I couldn't get the training in on Tuesdays.  I was ready to give up.  My mom asked me why I would quit after already putting so much time and heart into training.  The only answer I could come up with was the missing check marks on the paper.  I had messed up "the plan" and now I was off schedule.  When my mom pointed out the ridiculousness of quitting because of a few missing check marks, I knew that couldn't quit.  Who really cares that I had missed three Tuesdays?  No one!

So what if you didn't reach 10,000 steps for the past two days.  Your child was sick.  You had a big report to complete at work.  That doesn't justify quitting.

So you ate an entire pizza after a really bad day.  What happened to you really stinks and deserved a pity party, but now you start fresh and get back on track with that clean eating.

So you paid your gas bill a day late.  Hey, everything else has been paid on time and you are doing a great job.  Next month, you'll get that bill paid on time.

Whenever we stumble there is a key moment when we literally ask ourselves - am I going to quit or am I going to stick to it?  The easy answer is to say I quit and fall back into old habits.  The hard answer.  The brave answer.  The smart answer is to push on.

So here we are nearing the end of January.  Did you tell yourself this year would be different and have found that it's not?  Have you been struggling to keep your resolution and have been thinking of giving up?  Maybe you never even made one because, "Why bother?  You know you won't keep it."

It's never too late to set a goal.  January 1 is only a date on the calendar.  You can make a New Year's Resolution on January 1st, January 22nd or even May 3rd.  It's all about you and how you want to live your life.  What decisions do you want to make?  How do you feel about your life right now?  If you want to change than you can do that starting today.

If you are ready to give up, I urge you to hang in there.  Look at your resolution.  Is it SMART?  If not - you can adjust it.  Have you shared your goal with anyone?  If not, call or text someone right now and ask for support.  Do you need to dig in your heels and stick to it even if you've already fallen?  You can do it!!

It's been seven years since I first kept my New Year's Resolution.  I still make a couple every year and I still follow these three steps.  If I can do it, I know that you can, too!

Why You Should Make a New Year's Resolution

What is your New Year's Resolution?

That's the question of the hour this time of year. 

I hear a lot of people reply that they don't make resolutions.  "Why bother, I don't keep them anyway," they say. 

Is that you?  If it is, I ask you to pause to read this and reconsider that response.

Take a moment to consider why you don't keep them.  I imagine that it is because 1) your previous resolutions have either been too vague or too big and 2) you have an all or nothing mindset.

This year I'm going to eat healthy.

This year I'm going to lose 100 pounds.

This year I'm going to exercise everyday.



There are some people that can make broad or big statements like that and stick to them.  I'm not one of them and I imagine that I am not alone.

I'd say - "This year I'm going to eat healthy."  I do just that for the first few weeks of the year.  Then there is a big football game and I'm making all kinds of scrumptious tailgating food.  There goes that resolution out the window!  Back to my old way of eating!

I'd say - "I'm going to lose 100 pounds this year."  Over the first few weeks I would lose five pounds.  Then I'd have a stressful week where I would eat a little more, exercise a little less and . . . BAM!  Gain two pounds.  There goes that resolution out the window!  Back to my old ways.

I'd say - "I'm going to exercise everyday."  I'd work out on the Wii or go to the Y or go for a walk everyday for a few days.  Then one night I have to work late.  The next night JJ has a basketball game and Ellie needs help with her homework.  The next night I take Ellie to her music lessons and there is a meeting at church.  Yikes - three days in a row with no exercise.  There goes that resolution out the window!  Back to skipping the gym.

If I can't be perfect ALL the time then I want NOTHING to do with this resolution. 

Five year's ago I made a New Year's Resolution and I kept it.  I kept it because 1) my resolution was specific and 2) I didn't give up. 

My health was heading down a dangerous path.  I needed to make wiser choices and get healthy.  But what exactly does that look like?  I needed to lose at least 50 pounds, but to me that was a huge number.  I needed to eat better, but I really like chips and brownies. 

I set my focus on something smaller - a 5k run.  I knew what that looked like.  I could picture 3.1 miles.  16 laps around the track.  1 trip around the big block plus 1 trip around the little block.  I could picture myself going that distance. 

My New Year's Resolution for 2010 was very specific - I will complete a 5k.

I mapped out my plan to achieve that goal and got to work.  But it wasn't always easy.  There were days that I didn't exercise.  Sometimes several days in a row that I didn't exercise.  There were days that I stress ate so much pizza on a Friday night that the idea of putting on my running shoes Saturday morning was not even on my radar.  Those were the times I wanted to give up.  "I screwed up - no running for three days.  Might as well quit."  "Too much pizza - epic fail!  Scrap the idea of getting healthy . . . again!" 

But I DIDN'T give up.  Instead I said to myself, "Ooooops!" and purposefully made the choice to get back on track.  Guess what happened - that feeling of complete failure was quickly replaced by the feeling of complete joy in the victory of clearing that hurdle. 

It is in that moment where most people get stuck.  Do I throw my hands up in defeat or do I purposefully pick myself up and forge ahead?   No matter what I do, I'm not going to be perfect all the time.  Instead of raising a white flag in surrender to my imperfections, I choose to raise my arms in victory to all that I accomplish no matter how small.

Took a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.  YES!  Ate one cookie instead of four.  YES!  Put my tennis shoes on and went for a run even though I didn't feel like it.  YES!

In 2010, I did it.  I kept my New Year's Resolution.  I completed my first 5k.  Five years later I have run over 40 5ks.  I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off.  I went from a size 22 pants to a size 14.  I feel GREAT! 

Change is possible.  You CAN do it.  You may have tried a thousand times before and not made it, but that is OK.  Try again.  Try again in 2015.  Make this your year. 

Be purposeful about it.  Pause for five minutes.  Think.  What do you want?  How do you feel right now?  How do you want to feel?  Set a goal.  A specific goal.  Then go for it . . . and make the choice to not give up.

Happy New Year . . . on September 13th!

Technically we celebrate the New Year once a calendar year on January 1st.  Everyone talks about fresh starts and new goals.  The energy lasts for a couple of weeks and then dies down until the months roll by and January 1st shows up again.

I prefer to look at the calendar as if we have many New Year's opportunities - the beginning of a new calendar year (January 1st, of course), and then my birthday (April 3rd), the beginning of summer (early June) and finally the beginning of a new school year (post-Labor Day).  I always feel energized and motivated at the start of a new phase.  New goals are set.  New opportunities are discovered.  As weeks pass I tend to get bogged down with schedules and stressors.  But then before I can get too lost in myself . . . BAM!  Happy New Year!  A new phase starts with a different schedule and a different perspective and I can start fresh . . . again. 

The "again" hanging off the end of that last sentence can be deflating or motivating.  I choose motivating! 

In my house we finally have our first full week of the new school year behind us.  My kids are falling into the routine of homework after school (and there is a LOT this year!) so that we have time to "play" when I get home from work. 

Today starts my fourth and final New Year of 2014.  It is time to rally myself again and get back on track.  I'm setting my New Year's Resolutions!  Since hurting my foot in June I've gotten away from running on a regular basis.  I registered for a 5k being run at the end of October.  I'm re-starting c25k (Couch to 5k training program) TODAY with the goal of being able to run the 3.1 miles without walking.  I will also get to the gym at least twice a week taking my family with me. We need to travel this journey of health together.

While there is no champagne or fun hats or dropping ball, I invite you to consider celebrating the New Year today, too.  Any day is a good day for a fresh start.  Why not make today YOUR day?!



Setting an Achievable Resolution - Step Three

Happy New Year's Eve! 2013 is ticking away.  The morning news, newspaper and Internet are filled with reports and articles about setting a New Year's Resolution and deciding to get healthy in 2014.  Statistically, only 8% of people keep their Resolutions.  I feel that the main reason for that is because people set unachievable resolutions.  They set themselves up for failure as soon as the words roll off their tongue. 

In 2010 I set, kept and am STILL keeping my New Year's Resolution.  I did it with three simple steps:

1) Set small goals and celebrate often (SMART goals!)
2) Accept the fact that I am going to mess up

3) Ask someone (or several someones) to hold you accountable

When I set out to run my first 5k, I knew that I would not be able to do it by myself.  It would be too easy for me to just quit.  So I asked my brother-in-law Chris if he would run with me.  Why?  Chris is an experienced runner.  He had run 5k's before.  Chris is a very encouraging and calm person.  He could handle me if I started to completely freak out (He is married to my sister so I knew he could definitely handle a Hamer Woman Meltdown - Ha! Ha!).  Chris is funny, so if nothing else I knew I'd be laughing throughout the 3.1 mile race!  It turned out that I needed Chris with me during that first 5k.  I would not have crossed the finish line without him!

My brother-in-law Chris and I celebrating my first 5k Registration in 2010

Four years later, I have several people who hold me accountable to my resolution to live a healthy life (Chris is still one of them!).  I am a part of two groups - Cat's Zumbettes (Ladies from my Zumba Class) and Mom's Run This Town - who will nudge me if I am away too long.  My staff at work know about my bad habits and take great joy in calling me out in front of everyone if they see me getting too close to the vending machines.  My biggest cheerleaders are my friend Amy, my sister Meg and my mom.  They listen to me whine and complain about being tired and sore.  They get on my case if I start to slack off.  They join in my celebrations with hugs and high-fives for even the smallest of milestones. 

Amy and I at Cat's Celebration of Life, 2013

 

Meg and I at Pittsburgh's Turkey Trot, 2013

My daughter Ellie with my mom at the Jingle Bell Run, 2013

 

Sharing your Resolution, your goal, your DREAM takes courage.  You may feel extremely embarrassed because you've tried and failed so many times.  You may have tried to quit smoking every January 1st for the past ten years.  You may have started and re-started fitness plans more times than you can count.  You may still be working on losing that baby weight even though your baby is eleven years-old.  Don't worry about that.  Today starts fresh. 

 

Choose a person to encourage you who will lift you up and propel you forward.  Someone who will be honest with you, will cry with you and will make you laugh.  Someone who when they simply look at you is saying YOU CAN DO THIS! 

 

There you go . . . three easy steps to setting an ACHIEVABLE RESOLUTION.  You can do this . . . make 2014 the year YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

 

 

 

Setting an Achievable Resolution - Step Two

In 2010 I beat the odds and actually kept my New Year's Resolution to live a healthier life.  Earlier this week I shared with you that I did three simple things to make my Resolution a reality.  Step one was to take my "big picture" resolution and break it down into a series of small goals.  Setting small goals allowed me to celebrate victories often which helped to push me forward toward success.

Step Two: Accept the fact that I am going to MESS UP.

My life is not perfect.  I am far from perfect.  So why should I ever think that getting myself from point A to point B should play out perfectly?  Back in 2010 I did.

All or Nothing Thinking.  If I make a single mistake or if things aren't going exactly as I planned then let's just scrap the whole idea.  I messed up.  The whole thing is ruined.  It's over.  That's a very unhealthy frame of mind because no one is perfect.   

When I was training for that first 5k, I kept missing Tuesdays.  My kids would have a lot of homework.  I'd have to work late.  There would be a basketball game or soccer practice.  For whatever reason, Tuesdays were always rough.  After a couple of weeks of missing the Tuesday workouts, I was talking to my mom and told her that I was giving up on the 5k.  I couldn't complete the training.  I remember her asking me what was so special about the training on Tuesdays.  When I thought about it, there really wasn't anything special about Tuesdays.  It was just a regular run.  Then she asked me if the training schedule had a rest day.  It did - Sundays.  She suggested that I simply adjust the training schedule to work for me and make Tuesdays my rest day.  What a brilliant idea! 

"Messing up" isn't an opportunity to "give up."  Rather it's an opportunity to look at WHY you stumbled and make an adjustment to prevent it from happening again.  Or, it could simply be a time when you say "Oooooops!" and move on. 

Even now, four years later, I still have lots of "Oooooops" moments.  Finding myself sitting on the couch devouring a bag of chips after a stressful day rather than putting a handful in a small bowl.  Letting several days pass without lacing up my running shoes.  Yes, I always feel bad when I let those things happen, but I use those times to push me to "get up" and get back on track.

Remember - Messing Up does not mean Giving Up.  Messing Up means Getting Up and starting again. 

2014 is almost here.  I have one more tip for you to help you set and Achievable Resolution . . . check back tomorrow!

Setting An Achievable Resolution - Step One

New Year's Resolutions drive me CRAZY! According to research done at the University of Scranton, only 8% of people actually keep them. 

For some people, New Year's Resolutions are a joke or merely a topic of conversation during holiday gatherings.  For others, there is a serious need to make a lifestyle change and the New Year seems like the perfect time to make those changes.  However, many people are setting themselves up for failure as soon as the words roll off their tongue.

I agree that a new year is the perfect time to make some changes in your life.  It was in January 2010 that I resolved to live a healthier life and started training for my first 5k - a step that four years later continues to have a positive impact on my life!  What did I do differently that allowed me to succeed?  THREE simple things . . .

1) Set SMALL goals and CELEBRATE often

"I'm going to lose 50 pounds this year."

There are some people who will make a statement like that and be able to do it, but the average person is going to stay strong for a few days or even a few weeks and then give up.  This resolution is too big.  It is going to take a long time to achieve it.  While it is good to see the big picture, it is easier to accomplish a goal if you break it down into smaller pieces.

"I'm going to lose five pounds this month."

Or even smaller . . .

"I'm going to lose one pound this week." 

That is do-able!  When you achieve that goal - celebrate!  Do a victory dance!  Hi-Five your family!  Pump your fist in the air!  Allow yourself to feel good and bask in the joy of victory!  That good feeling will spur you on to achieve your next goal . . . "I'm going to lose one pound this week." 

One week will turn into two and then three and then four . . . and then fifty!

Back in 2010, my resolution was to live a healthier life.  I set a goal for myself - I will complete my first 5k on April 10, 2010. Using a Couch to 5k training schedule (http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/sofa-to-5k-training-tips), I broke my goal down further - I will complete the 5k training schedule this week.  After 15 weeks I was ready to go!  Fifteen weeks of small goals and small celebrations led to my successfully crossing the finish line of the Genesis Riverside Run 5k on April 10, 2010.

 

April 10, 2010 - My First 5k!

 

My friend Emily Jackson shared this acronym with me - Goals should be SMART.
     Small
     Measurable
     Achievable
     Realistic
     Time Specific

What New Year's Resolution have you been thinking about?  Is it a SMART one?  How can you break it down to make it SMART?  The SMART-er or SMALLER your goal the more often you get to celebrate a victory.  Celebrating those small victories is going to make you feel good about yourself and push you toward achieving your bigger goal.

Setting small goals and celebrating often is only one of three simple actions that helped me keep my New Year's Resolution back in 2010.  Number two is . . . I'll share that one tomorrow!