THE NEW YEAR
A Special Advertising Section January 26, 2017
Create (and keep) those New Year’s resolutions in 2017 Taking a good, hard look at daily behavior is the key to setting realistic self-improvement goals
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he early Babylonians believed that what people did on the first day of the year affected what they did for the rest of that year. Many of us see the New Year as a perfect opportunity to start over or to change bad habits. According to several surveys, the most popular resolutions people make are related to health and fitness (eating better, losing weight, and exercising), reducing consumption of alcohol, caffeine, quitting smoking, and becoming more financially responsible by promising to spend less and save more. Unfortunately, over 70 percent of resolutions are broken by the end of January, and this can leave a person feeling discouraged. You might even consider New Year’s resolutions like romantic relationships: They’re easier to start than maintain. One in four people who makes a New Year’s resolution will drop out within the first seven days, statistics show. Focus on one step at a time. Sooner or later you’re bound to get distracted, feel worn out, or hit a plateau with your progress — all reasons why many people start to feel discouraged and give up on those resolutions. Don’t let that happen to you. Instead of getting overwhelmed by what’s still ahead, keep it simple. Take a moment to ask yourself, what’s one thing I can do or change right now to help myself succeed? Then go ahead and make that one small change.
About half jump ship within six months. Resolutions are complicated, and being able to achieve them usually requires taking a hard look at our thoughts and behaviors. Setting goals keeps us on track, but stamping out old habits is difficult, and may even require the help of a professional for some. But there’s hope. Striving for self-improvement and setting goals for ourselves gives us a sense of purpose and hope for the future. Be sure to make your goals a priority, be specific, and work at them daily. Your goal should be specific and measurable. Make your goal concrete, and if necessary, break it down into smaller steps. Setting vague goals such as “I want to lose weight” can be ineffective. Instead, ensure your resolution is quantifiable. If your goal is to shed some pounds, identify the number you’d like to lose within a specified period of time.
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If your aim is to exercise more in 2017, set a specific objective for the number of hours you’ll work out each week. Or, if your resolution is to consume fewer carbohydrates, resolve to eat carbohydrates only at one meal per day rather than resolving to eliminate carbohydrates entirely. Once you are successful, begin to decrease your consumption further. Moderation. Don’t set unrealistic resolutions that will be impossible to keep. If you resolve to eat healthier by cutting down on desserts, switch to an alternative you enjoy rather than forcing yourself to eat a vegetable you’ve hated since childhood. For example, swap ice cream for Greek yogurt or fruit rather than raw cauliflower sprouts (unless you enjoy them, of course). Be nice to yourself. Changing habits isn’t easy, so you’re likely to struggle at some point in your journey. Take it easy.. Continued on page 3
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NASSAU HERALD — January 26, 2017
good health
focusing on
body / mind / fitness