The Trek to 2019 Resolution Success: One Month Down, 11 to Go.

February 1, 2019

With the new year comes many resolutions to lead a healthier lifestyle. However, by the second week of February, approximately 80% of all resolutions fail. Therefore, the end of 2019’s first month has arrived, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) wants to follow-up and see how you have maintained these goals or haven’t. Regardless of where you fall on that pass/fail percentage, UTHSCT wants to ensure that you treat yourself for 2019 with tips to either continue down that path of success or get back on the horse to keep trying.

As aforementioned in UTHSCT’s previous post, SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-oriented) goals are recommended when trying to lead a new lifestyle or incorporate new aspects to better yourself. As noted, 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February, but don’t let that discourage you; no one is perfect, and the pursuit of your resolution won’t be either. If you fall into that 80% population, there’s no need to despair because you can still get back on track to that new you.

Change is hard. Regardless of how well a plan is put together, hurdles will undoubtedly arise on your journey. When these challenges rear themselves in your path, you’re essentially facing a part of yourself that has been accustomed to doing something for a protracted period; therefore, it will not be an easy mountain to summit. It will be hard. However, recognizing that this will occur and implementing strategies to help overcome the old behavior can better prepare you to face these obstacles.

Lack of progress can frequently be a significant deterrent in continuing down the path to a better you. In this perception, the lack of results can lead to a mentality that lends the thought “this is too much,” or “I can’t reach that goal,” or a plethora of similar beliefs that dissuade one to continue the course. However, to help combat that, one should reevaluate the set goal to ensure it is attainable and realistic. If determined that the target may be too lofty, reset the goal for something that can be reached, even if on a smaller scale. If attainable, but surmounting thoughts persist, consider adding small milestones to track the progress, instead of focusing on the overarching goal solely. While not an easy task, changing your mentality to perceiving the resolution as achievable is a crucial factor to success.

Flexibility in a resolution can also be a path towards becoming a better you, which correlates with the realistic portion of SMART goals. Concerning behaviors, expecting to transition overnight from one end of the spectrum to the other isn’t realistic. While it is achievable, rarely are most people able to flip the switch that drastically. Therefore, allowances are advised to be built into the plan and then tapered down as the process persists and you adjust to the new way of life.

Another important tip for success is “don’t do it alone.” While a specific support group may not be necessary, something as informal as a friend or peer to take the journey with adds a level of support and even accountability. When trudging through the obstacles of achieving a resolution, it can be cumbersome to trek through alone. Adding this layer of support and accountability may be just the additional factor needed to achieve your goal.

Now, for the ones who are still going strong on their resolution – keep it up! It’s apparent that you have found some formula of success that has kept you going for 31 days. However, you aren’t out of the woods yet; the second week of February is where the 80/20 figure comes into play. Thus, stay on the path and incorporate some of the tips above, should inklings to stray creep into your thoughts.

Regardless of where you fall on the success/failure side of 2019 resolutions, you still have 11 months left to treat yourself. So, if you fell off the wagon, reevaluate your plan and get back to it. If you’ve been successful so far, stay at it. Despite wherever you are, stay the course and treat yourself in 2019 to a better you!