Health Matters: Make a New Year’s Resolution and Keep it Too

Christmas is 15 days away and many people are already looking past that date and instead focusing on January 1st.
 
45% of people make New Years resolutions and by February only 8% actually keep them.

Unfortunately for many people it’s the same story year after year, a lofty new year’s goal ends with nothing to show for.

One of Essentia’s psychologists says the size of the goal could be the reason why so many people fail to keep their resolution.
 
As fitness director at Anytime Fitness, Wallin helps gym members set a variety of fitness goals. Some stick and others don’t.

But when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, it’s usually the latter.
 
“Let’s say with ten people in that first month one fall off in that second month two or three fall off by six months about half people have gotten out of it and usually out of ten only one person will make it a full year,” says Fitness Director at Anytime Fitness, Carl Wallin.
 
And Dr. Spencer has an idea why.
 
“It’s about starting small and finding success with small things and then moving to more major goals,” says Essentia Clinical Psychologist, Megan Spencer.
 
When it comes to goals, Dr. Spencer says the smaller the better.
 
“If you’re breaking things into parts then you’re giving yourself small goals that you then attain because you feel good about yourself,” says Dr. Spencer.
 
“I’m going to start by going to the gym three times a week. I’m going to lose one pound this week,” says Wallin.
 
Another way to succeed? Accept failure and move on.
 
“Everyone is going to fail at some point. Everyone is going to mess up,” says Dr. Spencer.
 
“If you aim small then you miss small versus just setting one big goal and telling all of your friends I’m going to lose weight this year and then not always getting to that big goal,” says Wallin.
 
And another thing, don’t forget to treat yourself.
 
“If you went to the gym three times a week and that’s what your goal was have a piece of chocolate after work. It’s not some magical formula it’s really setting yourself up for success,” says Dr. Spencer.
 
Success, if done right, that will last a lifetime.
 
Dr. Spencer tells says whatever your News Year’s resolution might be, if you can maintain a schedule for 90 days or three months chances are you succeeded.