New year, same me?
It may be tempting to start every new year by making a big resolution for change. We may have heard someone say, “I’m cutting out all carbs starting in January”, or “On Monday I will start exercising six days per week”.
While it is always great to work on personal growth, there are reasons why a strict new year resolution rarely lasts past January. We do not become an entirely new person as soon as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.
We are creatures of habit, and our personality, culture and circumstances dictate our current routines. Making a strict change overnight is often difficult to keep long term. Once we can no longer claim that goal, we may be left feeling like we have failed, even though the goal was unrealistic to begin with.
Instead, focus on making realistic goals that feel encouraging rather than overwhelming. What we do every day has the biggest impact on our health. Look at your habits such as eating schedule, food variety, sleep, beverage intake, stress management, and movement. Find daily habits and routines. Start implementing small, gradual changes that can be built over time.
Examples of small changes can look like drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, adding non starchy veggies to your dinner plate, swapping a glass of fruit juice for a whole fruit, or adding in a short walk after lunch.
New habits form by doing something once and then repeating it more regularly. Challenge your mindset by starting your new habit change on a Thursday, or at 4 PM in the afternoon. No need to wait until Monday or next New Year’s Eve!
