Many people think New Year’s Resolutions are silly or bound to be unsuccessful. However, with commitment, planning, and goals in mind, New Year’s Resolutions can offer benefits for personal growth, health, and overall well-being. A resolution is a determination to achieve or change something. We will review the advantages of setting goals and provide ideas for the New Year that won’t overwhelm you and create a path to success.
The Benefits of New Year’s Resolutions
- Provides a Clean Slate. The New Year is a clearly defined distinction between what was and what could be encouraging you to leave mistakes and bad habits behind. Starting fresh can provide motivation and inspiration.
- Encourages Goal Setting. Setting reasonable goals (too many, and you may not achieve any of them!) encourages alignment of values with goals.
- Promotes Personal Growth. Goals can help you learn new skills, test your limits, and challenge yourself.
- Improves Focus and Commitment. Clear and specific goals help you stay motivated and committed to an outcome. When you develop the habit of setting goals, you are more confident about changing your behavior in the future.
- Enhances Mental Well-Being. Setting and achieving goals improves self-esteem and helps make challenges more manageable and less stressful.
- Improves Social Bonds. One way to improve your success at achieving a goal is to involve others. You can do this by partnering with someone else who shares the same goal or letting others know your goals.
- Fosters Vision. When you set a goal, you envision the steps to get there and the positive outcomes. That doesn’t mean that you need to reach perfection; it’s just that you tried your best and have the confidence to make adjustments.
- Builds Resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt to adversity or stress. Resilience is a trait you can build and is especially helpful as you age. When you set and reach goals, there are challenges along the way, and your ability to navigate those builds strength that helps you meet future difficulties.
How to Set Goals
You may have many areas of your life that you would like to improve upon, which is excellent but can be overwhelming. To ensure success, try to follow these guidelines:
- Be Specific. Clearly define what you want to achieve and why it matters. Stating you want to “get healthier” is too vague. A more specific goal may be to “lower my blood pressure through diet and exercise.”
- Set Measurable Goals. Track your progress by setting criteria such as increasing exercise to 30 minutes daily, three days a week.
- Make Goals Achievable. Too many or unrealistic goals might be impossible to achieve. To experience success, set achievable goals (or even just one!). You can always add more later if you want to.
- Set Deadlines. Deadlines are crucial to achieving successful goals. Think of deadlines as your markers of success and a roadmap to help you along the way.
Ideas to Get Started
There are many ideas about goals, and your specific goals must align with your values. Often, setting a positive goal involves stopping a negative behavior. For example, you may need to eliminate junk food to eat healthier. Here are a few ideas; you may have several of your own.
Stopping Smoking
If you smoke, stopping smoking may be one of the most positive changes you can make to your health. There are several methods to stopping smoking, and people often combine quitting with another activity to manage the withdrawal symptoms that come from stopping. Some people use Nicotine Replacement Therapy, and others rely on medications or group support. Make sure you set a deadline.
Losing Weight
Losing weight is a common and admirable goal. Talk with your doctor before beginning any weight loss program. People often combine weight loss with healthier eating and increased exercise and find improved overall health in the process.
Exercising More
Because exercise is such a broad term, it can be helpful to think carefully about the kind of exercise that will be safe and effective for you. It might be walking daily, taking a senior exercise class, or doing yoga. Remember to be specific.
Improving Social Connections
Improving social connections is vital to maintain mental and physical health as you age. Loneliness has been associated with increased cognitive impairment and mental health problems like depression. Some ideas include scheduling daily communication with friends and family. Learning technology can open a variety of ways to stay connected.
Eat Better
Eating habits can be challenging to break, but starting slowly and building upon success can help you change unhealthy eating patterns. We now know enough about what to eat and not eat that it isn’t too hard to understand what you should eliminate and what to add. So that you don’t feel deprived, start slowly by introducing healthier foods and eliminating unhealthy choices so you aren’t tempted to backslide.
The New Year: A Time to Resolve
The New Year can be an excellent time to take stock of your life and review where you have been and where you would like to go. Remember to take it slowly, and you can find success in improving your life and developing the skills to continue that improvement well into the future.
Contact Us
Ready to join a community that celebrates you every day? Contact us at The Chateau or Park Place to schedule a tour and see firsthand why so many active adults are proud to call Highlands Residential home. Our friendly staff is here to answer any questions and help you find the perfect place to start this exciting new chapter of your life.