New Year’s Resolution: Make a SMART Goal
WASHINGTON — Happy New Year! It’s the second week of January, but it’s not too late to set some attainable goals for 2024. While you may feel pressured to have it all together by Jan. 1, every day is a good day for starting a healthy habit.
Before you get swept up and give up, we’ll explain the history of New Year’s resolutions and what recent research shows. We’ll also tell you how to create a “SMART” goal and give you plenty of tips to set you up for success.
Breaking Down New Year’s Resolutions
You wake up on Jan. 1. It’s winter and you’re groggy from New Year’s Eve and still recovering from the holiday season. It’s not an ideal time to jump out of bed and change your life. So why do we expect ourselves to?
History
The first New Year’s Resolutions were made 4,000 years ago by the ancient Babylonians. The start of their year was mid-March when they planted their crops and spring began. They made promises to their gods for the upcoming year, which historians regard as the first “resolutions.”
Later, in 46 B.C., Julius Caesar changed the beginning of the new year to Jan.1. The ancient Romans also used this time to make promises to the gods.
While some still have religious traditions around the new year, New Year’s Resolutions, as we know them, tend to be more secular.
Statistics
There are a few studies on New Year’s Resolutions. According to a 2020 study, 44% of adults in the United States make a New Year’s Resolution. Research from 2023 shows only 38% of adults make resolutions, with only 9% sticking to them for the entire year. A 2021 study suggests many people give up within the first month.
The 2020 study lists the following most popular topics for resolutions:
- Physical Health.
- Interpersonal Relationships.
- Personal Growth.
- Academic Results.
The study also notes that action-based rather than avoidance-based goals are more successful. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, you are more likely to “eat more vegetables” rather than “stop eating sugar.”
Should You Make One?
Don’t let the numbers get you down. Research shows that setting goals, working towards them, and achieving them is key to well-being. If you have a goal, you just need to know how to set it up to achieve it.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
One reason many people give up on New Year’s Resolutions is because they don’t go in with a plan. “I want to improve my physical health” is a great sentiment, but it’s vague. Research shows that setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is beneficial to creating behavioral change to achieve health goals.
SMART is an acronym. Here’s what it means, with an example of how to apply it to improving your physical health through exercise.
- Specific: Each week, I want to do two 45-minute strength training sessions and two 30-minute cardio workouts.
- Measurable: I want to get 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day and will use a fitness tracker.
- Attainable: I can work out at home if I can’t get to the gym.
- Realistic: If something comes up and I miss a day, I’ll continue my plan the following week.
- Time-bound: I will follow this plan for six weeks and see how I feel.
Tips for Attainable Resolutions
You may have a big fitness goal of running a marathon or losing weight for medical reasons. You’ll want to tailor your S.M.A.R.T. goal to be specific to help you reach your desired outcome.
Many people just want to eat healthier and exercise a little more. If you’re new to improving your health, it’s important to make your goals small and attainable. As you reach them, you’ll have more confidence to keep going and you won’t be a part of the majority who give up in the first month.
- Make your goals action-oriented, not avoidance-oriented: Aim to eat a serving of vegetables with every meal. Drink one more glass of water a day than you do now. Instead of saying, “I need to stop sitting on the couch and watching TV after work,” add a 30-minute walk to your day.
- Go for performance, not mastery: Research shows that taking steps towards your goal is more important than mastering it. You don’t have to be a fantastic artist to draw or paint. Simply taking time to engage in creativity can benefit your mental health.
- Pick an easy goal: If you want to run a marathon but you have never run before, start with walking. Research shows that attaining “easy” goals helps boost your self-confidence.
- Seek professional coaching: Working with a personal trainer or coach can be an excellent, motivating way to learn new skills. You’ll also have someone to hold you accountable to your S.M.A.R.T. goals.
- Find your baseline: If you want to eat healthier, pay attention to what you currently eat regularly. If you want to exercise more, note what you currently do.
Get Ready for a Good Year
If you’re not ready to turn over a new leaf now, you may be more in tune with the ancient Babylonians. Spring may be a more motivating season for your renewal and growth. You can still set a small, reasonable, attainable resolution for the quiet wintertime. Achieving goals of any size boosts mental health and self-confidence. If you need some more downtime to rest, enjoy it. Drink an extra glass of water daily and you’ll still be improving your health!
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