A Better New Years Resolution
by Amanda Jane Snyder
A better New Years Resolution.
Do you set New Years Resolutions every year and every year you fail to achieve them?
Do your New Years Resolutions always feel out of reach or like a pipe dream?
Most People Fail
Science says that 92% of people who set resolutions each year never actually achieve them. That's almost 100%! Almost 100% of people who set resolutions never achieve them.
So is anyone actually ever achieving any goals?
Well, some of them are. And the ones that are achieving those goals are setting them in a different way. So let's explore how we can set better New Years resolutions this year.
Resolutions Aren't Required
First of all, I would like to say that setting resolutions during the New Year is not required. Don't let people pressure you into setting goals on January 1st. Yes, the end of the year plus the start of a new year can feel like a really opportune time to set some goals, but truly you can set goals at any time. If you do plan to set goals, whether it's in the new year or any time, follow the steps below to actually achieve these goals.
Be SMART
In order to achieve your New Years resolutions try making them:
1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. challenging but Achievable
4. Relevant
5. and Time sensitive
In other words, set your resolutions as SMART goals. If you want, start with your BIG overarching goals, and split them up into 4 small SMART goals, 1 for each quarter.
Here's an example for those of you who want to get strong in 2023:
Getting strong is a pretty arbitrary goal. So let's explore and break down just exactly what that might look like as small SMART goals.
Q1 might look like you getting in the habit of going to the gym and performing resistance training (relevant). Going to the gym (specific), 3 times a week (measurable and challenging but achievable if you currently don't go at all). It's time bound to the first quarter of the year.
Once you've gotten in the habit of actually going to the gym, in Q2 you can start to keep track of the weight/sets/reps you use for each lift. Or, you can take it even smaller by taking it one lift at a time. For this quarter, maybe you focus on your pull ups as the main exercise you want to get stronger in. How many pull ups can you do with a band? How thick is the band? By the end of Q2 (time bound) you will be able to achieve 1 pull up (specific) without a band (measurable) after years of being able to do 10 assisted pull ups with a band (challenging but achievable) which contributes to your ultimate goal of getting stronger (relevant).
And so on and so forth.
Ask for Help
One final piece of advice I can offer as someone who helps people achieve their goals every year is to ASK FOR HELP. The ability to ask for help is so underrated. If you are looking to achieve a goal and you have no knowledge, no history, and no reputation with achieving this type of goal... ask for help! Invest your time and money in someone that can help you get to that goal. You will most likely get there faster as the expert has probably invested their life in the exact subject that you are a novice in. It's okay to ask for help.
Bottom line? These goals take time. Getting stronger takes strategic planning and patience and if you are actually invested in seeing results it's important to track your progress and celebrate each win!
Amanda Jane Snyder is a Certified Nutrition Coach, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer, and Mindset Coach living in Brooklyn, NY. She has been vegan since 2016. She specializes in Strength and Conditioning for Actors, Singers, and Dancers.
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