Set some SMART goals for 2021

Making any News Year’s Resolutions?  Many people do, only to forget about them by
February or so.  I read that about 75% of
us make resolutions which are broken only a week
later.  About half of us actually get through
6 months of keeping our resolutions.  How
can you set some health goals that you are more likely to keep in 2021?

First – think of some S.M.A.R.T.
goals.  

Specific – many people set goals that are vague.  Many students in my class start out with
goals like, “I will eat healthier.” When I ask them what specific thing they will
do, many haven’t really thought about it. 
A more specific goal would be, “I will eat a piece of fresh fruit at
lunch every day.”   Not a hard thing to
do and a very good, healthy habit.

Measurable – the goal of “I will eat healthier” is
not really measurable.  But it is easy to
determine whether or not you are eating a piece of fruit every day for
lunch.  In an earlier blog, I mentioned
how a health educator told my sister to eat some baby carrots at lunch every
day.  This is easy to do and something I
do every day.  Carrots are full of
beta-carotene which promotes healthy skin (see Foods
for Healthy Skin) as well as many other benefits.

Attainable – don’t set yourself up for failure.  A failure goal would be: “I will lose 20
pounds in one week.”  Not realistic.  Set some very small, healthy goals and you
are much more likely to meet that goal.  If
you have never gone to the gym, and you don’t like going to the gym, don’t set
a goal of: “I will go to the gym and work out every day for an hour”.  I know people who join a gym in January and
then never go – they pay every month but never go.  Or, they join a gym, go a few times in
January, and then lapse for the rest of the year.  A better goal would be: “I will walk at lunch
every day for 15 minutes”. 

Realistic – Setting a goal of running a marathon if
you hate to run, is not very realistic. 
The goal you set can be a challenge but one you know you can work towards
and achieve.  And if you don’t make the
bigger goal you set for yourself, then modify your goal.  “I will walk after lunch for 15 minutes
Monday through Friday.”  “I will work up
to walking for 30 minutes at lunch every day.” 

Timely – put a time frame in your goal.  Not, “I will exercise more.”   But add in some time period.  “I will go for a 30-minute bike ride every
Sunday.” 

Try setting a healthier eating habit goal for yourself and a
goal to exercise more.  I like healthy goals
of adding things to your diet.  I am not
big on goals like, “I will give up sweets.” 
Why?  Who doesn’t like some sweets?  I try to get the students in my class to
focus on adding some healthy foods to their diet and not on what they might
subtract. Injohnnyskitchen
recommends his health hack:  Take a
piece of fruit when leaving the house.  Simple, but oh so healthy. 

Second:  Set some SMART goals for 2021. Here are some ideas for: Healthier Eating Goals:  As a start to eating healthier, just choose
one goal for 2021.

• I will eat a piece of fresh fruit for lunch
  every day.
• I will drink a half cup of real, 100% juice at
  breakfast every day.
• I will eat a handful of nuts at lunch every day.
• I will drink some low-fat milk at breakfast and
  lunch every day.
• I will eat a whole grain cereal for breakfast at
  least 4 days a week.
• I will use olive oil or canola oil when cooking.
• I will bring some yogurt in my lunch every day
  to eat at lunch or as a snack.
• I will drink four glasses of water every day.

Add fresh fruit to your day.

Exercise goals – these don’t have to cost a lot of
money for gym memberships and don’t need to take hours out of your day. 

• I will do a few minutes of balance exercises
  every day.  This can be as simple as
  standing on one leg, and bending the other leg.
• I will do some arm stretches after sitting at my
  computer/laptop for an hour.
• I will stand up and walk around after sitting
  for an hour.
• I will exercise for 2 minutes, every day, for 5
  days a week.  James
  Clear recommends starting with a 2-minute exercise goal.  Who can’t exercise for 2 minutes?

Take time for a stretch break.

No time for exercise? 
WebMD
recommends building exercise into your day. 
When I used to commute to work, there was little time to exercise so I
focused on exercising at lunch.  Whether
it was a walk with friends or a 30-minute aerobic class at work, I tried to get
some exercise in.  Or, exercise after
work – stop off at the gym before you go home. 
Many people find that once they get home, it is hard to go back out
again to go to the gym.  Buy a pedometer or
Smart watch to track your steps. Measure your steps for a week or two and then
set goals to increase the number of steps you walk every day by 300 steps a
day. 

What are some healthier goals you can set for yourself for
2021?  Set one or two SMART goals and see
if you can beat those who quit only a week later.  Make your healthy goals a habit for a
healthier you in 2021.

Sources:  week
, S.M.A.R.T
, Injohnnyskitchen,
Goals , James
Clear , WebMD
Image sources: Smart
goals   , Piece
of fruit  , stretch
break 

 

source https://betterweightloss.info/set-some-smart-goals-for-2021/