New year, new you?

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU? Just in time for what many consider to be an outdated tradition: new year resolutions. Before you decide to opt out, consider how you felt this time last year. Are you who you hoped to be at this point? If not, it might be time to set some new goals. And any negative emotion you may be feeling is fuel for motivation. It can be as simple as telling yourself: “I’m tired of feeling frustrated or full of regret.”

One of the best ways to establish a new direction is to first determine the destination. Let’s go with one of the most popular resolutions: living a healthier lifestyle. We will embark on this journey by using S.M.A.R.T. goals. The acronym stands for SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT and TIME LIMITED. An example of this may sound like: “Each week for the next 30 days, I would like to exercise with resistance training 3 times and aerobic 2 times. I will track my progress through a journal and seek accountability from a friend.”

Maybe there is more to why the resolution of living a healthier lifestyle does not seem to lose popularity. According to a recent study, "lower all-cause mortality was observed in older adults doing either aerobic or weightlifting exercise, but the lowest mortality risk was seen among adults who reported both types of exercise… Our finding that mortality risk appeared to be lowest for those who participated in both types of exercise provides strong support for current recommendations to engage in both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities (Gorzelitz et al., 2022).”

So if the idea of living a longer life does not help drive your goal setting, then consider setting aside some margin to ponder what might. Taking the time now will surely prevent feelings of regret. Your future self will thank you for it.

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