Standing Resolute

It's January so of course everyone is talking about resolutions.  The population is generally divided into two camps - those who believe in making resolutions and those who think that iot is a waste of time as many resolutions are discarded by February 1st.

The word resolution is derived from "resolute" which means to be admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.   The definition makes me wonder if perhaps the reason that resolutions often fail is that they are not purposeful.

There is a common strategy that is marked with the acronym "SMART" that is often used to help individuals set purposeful goals.

The S stands for Specific.  General goals, like "I will eat better" seldom succeed because they lack specificity.  Try saying "I will eliminate pop from my diet" or "I will eat two portions of vegetables with each meal"

The M stands for Measurable.  Identify a way to measure the progress of your goal.  Instead of saying "I will start working out"  try :I will work out for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week."

The A stands for attainable.  If you have never gone for a hike, climbing Kilimanjaro is probably not attainable at this time.

R stands for Realistic.  As much as winning the lottery would be nice, it is probably not a realistic goal.  Saving 5,00 towards a down payment on a house might be.

T is for Timely.  While with proper training, virtually anyone can run a marathon (I know, I did it after telling someone only a year before that I never could)   aiming to do one in a month if you have not been training is not a good timeline.  Aiming for 6 months to a year would be a more realistic timeline.

So what SMART goals did I set for myself for 2020?  I chose three.  Ambitious, yes.  Realistic, also yes.

My first goal relates to my physical health.  I resolved to work out for approximately 30 minutes at least 6 times a week.  I know this is doable for me at the present time because I did it in the summer.

My second goal was diet related.  I promised myself to give up Coca Cola. This is one I have struggled with in the past.  I have managed to go about 3 months and then something happens and I "need" a Coke again.  Perhaps a more realistic goal is I will limit my Coke consumption to 1 can/bottle a month.

My third goal was to focus on my mental well-being.  I bought a mindfulness journal and a book on mindfulness.  My goal is to write in the journal at least 3 times a week and to finish the book by the end of summer.

So don't be afraid to make a resolution.  Just be SMART about it!

Here's to a new year filled with family, good food, good friends and fun.