Oklahoma State University: Give Grace With Failed New Year's Resolutions

Press release from Oklahoma State University:

2022-02-01

A new year leaves people feeling invigorated to make changes in their lives. Resolutions
such as losing weight, saving more money, learning a new skill or decluttering the
house often top the list.

For many, one month into the new year, those goals have gone by the wayside, said
Rachel Morse, Oklahoma State University Extension mental health specialist with the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program.

“There’s nothing wrong with setting lofty goals for yourself, but it’s important to
keep them realistic in order to be successful. Often, when people don’t see results
right away, they quickly give up on the idea of attaining their goal,” Morse said.
“However, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing deal. Don’t give up on your goals;
just readjust them to make them more attainable.”

It’s important to set goals using the SMART acronym: Specific. Measurable. Achievable.
Realistic. Timely.

“It’s one thing to say you want to lose 50 pounds in a month, but that isn’t achievable
or even realistic,” she said. “Setting goals you can measure and seeing the progress
will help keep them on track, and you won’t get so discouraged. Keep a written log
so you can see what steps you’re taking to achieve a certain goal.”

Those who want to exercise more can keep track of how much time they spend exercising.
Again, be specific. Instead of planning to exercise more, make it a goal to exercise
15 minutes, three times per week. Once that becomes a habit, either increase the duration
or the number of times per week. If saving money is important, keep a log of how much
you spend. Keep a food log to identify how much your caloric intake should be reduced
to reach personal health goals.

Morse said one of the keys to achieving goals is to build flexibility into the plan.

“Approach your goals with baby steps. Make small changes that soon become habits.
Tweak your plan as you go along,” she said. “Babies learning to walk fall often, but
they always get back up and keep going. It’s the same with setting goals. Just because
you fall down isn’t any reason to give up. Get back on your feet, dust yourself off
and start again the next day.”

Morse said it is important to break tasks into manageable chunks. For example, if
a goal is to clean the house, instead of looking around at everything that has to
be done, divvy up the chores into easier-to-achieve tasks. One day, tackle cleaning
the floors. The next day, concentrate on the bathrooms. De-cluttering the kitchen
counter can be done the following day. By the end of the week, the house is clean.

“We must give ourselves grace when it comes to our goals. You simply can’t beat yourself
up because you fall short one day, or even several days in a row,” she said. “Wipe
the slate clean and start over. It’s OK to struggle sometimes, but it’s not a reason
to give up.”

This press release was produced by Oklahoma State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.