January 1st is such a refreshing day. We can put all of the baggage of the past year behind us and look forward to the New Year with optimism and hopefulness. As we ring in 2012 with our family and friends, many of us will also begin to write a list of New Year’s resolutions, determined to rid ourselves of bad habits starting this Sunday.
When I searched the internet for the most popular New Year’s resolutions, two came up over and over again: exercise more and eat healthier. While these are worthwhile goals, they are also enormous undertakings, and make us feel as though we need to overhaul our lives to achieve them. And so, by January 5th we have given up because such grand goals are too vague and too hard to achieve.
But there is good news! There is an entirely different way we can make New Year’s resolutions achievable. Because so many New Year’s resolutions have to do with health, I want to share an article by one of my (and many people’s) favorite doctors, Dr. Oz. Instead of vowing to exercise every day for an hour, or eat nothing but vegetables, Dr. Oz recommends making smaller, more manageable goals.
His main idea is that, over time, by creating and accomplishing smaller goals, you slowly–but more effectively–introduce healthier habits into your life and eventually transform your entire lifestyle because small goals are easier to work toward and therefore easier to accomplish.
In the article, which you can read here, Dr. Oz gives a new, small goal each day for 28 days. Some examples include aiming to walk just 30 minutes a day, drinking a cup of green tea, or eating more wild salmon, tomatoes, or garlic.
And remember, your goal doesn’t have to be health-related. This approach can be used to tackle any large goal, from getting more organized, to saving more money or spending more time with family and friends. Breaking up large resolutions into small, realistic goals will keep you motivated and on your way to success.
From all of us at Coastline, have a happy and healthy 2012, and good luck with your resolutions!
