After writing my last post on New Year’s Resolutions and “Choice”, I had other thoughts that I wanted to share. If you have not read it, please go back and read Part 1 before continuing.
Like I mentioned in the previous post, the main reason that New Year’s Resolutions fail is that it was too hard or too big of a change. We have grandiose ideas about how our responsible and healthy and determined our future selves are but when the reality bug bites (and it bites often), we fall back into our old ways.
But what if we thought about resolutions differently? Instead of thinking about it as a year-long change, what if we think of it as a daily change? As long as we stick with the plan more than 50% of the year (that’s >182 days!), then it will technically have been a successful change.
We have all experienced the thought: we are trying to lose weight but succumbed to the donut in the break room. “Oh, I blew it! My diet is in shambles, probably just gained 10lbs. Oh well, might as well have another. My diet starts tomorrow.”
Or —
I’m trying to quit smoking but something stressful happened. “I need a cigarette. This is just not the time to quit smoking. Maybe next year.”
Of course, there are many things wrong with these lines of thinking. I’m not getting into that today. What I am getting into is this idea that we’ve “blown it” or that perfect adherence is the only way to better health. This is how resolutions fail. It was too hard, we can’t keep it up, so we give up completely. January you was hopeful. February you was hopeless. And the rest of the year goes on without any healthy change.
Let’s say our resolution is to not eat fast food. We should then frame the statement as “I will not eat fast food today.” If you were successful, then make a deposit in the healthy change bucket. As you keep going, keep making those deposits. But some days will backfire and we will find ourselves in the Chick-fil-a line that is somehow long at all times of the day. You’re mad at yourself.
However, you remember: one meal is not going to make or break your health. You are worth making changes for, so do not bad-talk your character and jump ship on your desire for healthy changes. It simply just didn’t work out that day.
I encourage you, instead, to think about the situation that led up to the fast food visit — did you forget to meal plan that week? Did an unexpected event pop up that kept you from having time to cook? Was there too much scheduled for that day? Or did you simply just want it? Use these questions to help reduce the chance of getting fast food again in the future.
My hope is that by thinking of it this way, the resolution becomes a daily bite sized task that is easier to complete. You just have to be successful today, regardless of how you performed yesterday or will perform tomorrow. The good choices add up and you will eventually be rich in health!
I hope this was helpful. Please forward this and my first email to your friends and family, as they also deserve to experience a healthier 2025!
Troy Jackson, MD