We have rung in the New Year, packed away the decorations, and returned to a structured work schedule. Life has resumed after the holiday frenzy of parties, shopping, gift giving, and eating. Now that little voice inside your head is telling you to commit to the age old New Year’s Resolution of exercising daily and clean eating only. You newsfeed is full of people showcasing the promises they have made to themselves and how they will live by the phrase “New Year, New Me.” To be honest, that all sounds like a lot of change at once, and very stressful. Let’s pump the brakes and start with “New Year, Better Me.”

New Year’s Resolutions are a great way to kick start some healthier habits that tend to fall by the wayside from Halloween to New Year’s Day. But seeing everyone announce their big plans can put pressure on you and then eventually you shut down and suddenly your New Year’s Resolution becomes a 2 week resolution and old habits return. There is a simple mnemonic phase that you can use when making your New Year’s Resolution, regardless of what it is. S.M.A.R.T. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Let’s break this down so you can start your New Year SMART:
S is for is for specific. Your goal should be clear and well defined. Be sure it answers some questions like; What is it that I want to ultimately accomplish? Why is this goal important? What steps do I need to take to initiate? Write all of this down so your specifics are clearly laid out. Trust me, it will help!
M is for measurable. There needs to be a way to measure your success so you are sure you are headed in the right direction. If your goal is weight loss or muscle gain, it is important to measure that success on a weekly or bimonthly basis. You don’t want to put the work into reaching your goal if it isn’t working, so be sure to measure your success along the way and make adjustments as needed.
A is for achievable. If you set a goal that is not realistic, it is going to be very difficult to achieve, thus setting you up for failure. Setting a goal of losing 30lbs in one week is not very realistic or achievable. That may be your long term goal but in order to achieve that, it makes more sense to set the goal to 2lbs a week and in 4 months be down the entire 30lbs. This can be applied to whatever category your goal falls in, not simply just exercise.
R is for relevant. Your goals should be relevant and matter to you. Make sure you can explain to yourself why you are setting this goal and define why it is that you want to achieve it. If you don’t really care about the goal or its outcome, it will be an uphill battle trying to achieve it.
T is for time-bound. The goal should have a clear start and end time. Starting on January 1st, I want to lose 30lbs by June 1st. You have defined your start and your end and it creates a sense of urgency with a deadline which will help to motivate you to keep it going.
My best advice is to dedicate some time to writing this down and in this order. Goals will have ebb’s and flows, because that is just life. You need to account for the external factors that may interrupt your focus but getting back on track doesn’t necessarily put you at square one. The two words you should apply to your vernacular when setting your goals is structure and discipline. The rest will follow.

Stay dedicated and you will see those results. Good luck and I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

-Sarah Caracciolo