by Guest Author

One of my personal and professional resolutions has been to discover capabilities among young people and provide opportunities to cultivate it. I feel extremely proud to include the well-written insights of this 25yo Franklin, MA native (who requests anonymity) in my practice’s blog, and I look forward to more of his contributions promoting wisdom and well-being. –Dr M

As each year begins, millions worldwide embark on a journey of self-improvement through New Year’s resolutions. However, statistics show that many individuals have failed to keep up with their resolutions by this point in the year. So, why do so many people struggle to maintain their goals long-term? In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this common phenomenon and provide insights into optimal goal setting strategies that can help you achieve success throughout the year.

The “Fresh Start Effect”

Despite the lack of success associated with New Year’s resolutions, people continue to embrace them. Their decision may be due to the “fresh start effect” — seen in the phrase “New Year, New Me.” Humans naturally gravitate towards temporal landmarks, such as the beginning of a new year, as opportunities for a fresh start. While this can be beneficial in some cases, it can also push a shift in behavior onto a future self, overlooking the present moment. People are often overly optimistic in believing that a future version of themselves will take responsibility. Why not do it now? When does the future you start, and when does the current you begin? This isn’t to say that a fresh start is a bad idea; it is just something to consider when creating a goal.

Goal Setting Strategies

Many individuals strive for ambitious changes without considering the practicality and feasibility of their objectives. How do you plan on achieving the goal? What does the goal entail? A goal of “I want to get better at art” may be difficult to stick to unless there are surrounding goals, milestones, or habits to follow. Not having a clear direction or way to measure progress can contribute to a lack of focus and commitment. If you don’t feel like you’re achieving the goal, you may lose motivation or become demotivated, derailing your progress.

The effectiveness of goal setting lies in the approach. Let’s explore the most popular New Year’s resolution — improving physical health and weight loss — as an example to guide us through the goal setting process.

Defining “Physical Health”

Defining what it means to be physically healthy is crucial if this is your goal. What aspects of your physical well-being do you wish to improve? Is it overall health or something specific? It can help to identify areas for improvement, such as cardiovascular health, alcohol consumption, sleep, or strength. Once you have identified the areas you want to improve, it’s time to establish specific goals and ways to measure your progress. For instance, if you want to gain a certain amount of weight by July, you can break it down into monthly goals and track your weight gain progress. To support a goal of cardiovascular health, you can create another goal of walking a few miles daily. If your overall goal is improvements in physical health, it is best to have other goals to support it.

Tracking Progress and Adjusting

Regularly monitoring your progress can be crucial to stay on track. For example, if weight loss is your goal, establishing daily or weekly tracking habits can help you identify patterns and adjust your exercise routine, diet, or calorie intake. Keep in mind that progress might not always align with your initial expectations. However, by including other measurable goals and consistently reassessing and adjusting your activities, you can prevent demotivation and maintain confidence in your progress.

Flexibility vs. Strict Adherence

When setting goals, it’s vital to balance flexibility and strict adherence. Some individuals thrive when their goals have clear boundaries, such as going to the gym every other day. For others, a more flexible approach is preferable, allowing them to choose from various exercise activities such as going to the gym, yoga, or walking their dog. You can enhance your motivation and enjoyment throughout the journey by tailoring your goals to your personal preferences and needs. It is also helpful to plan for alternative actions when encountering a barrier to success, such as a snowstorm.

Approach vs Avoidance

People can perceive the same situation differently depending on their mindset. An approach mentality seeks a positive outcome, while an avoidance mentality avoids a negative result. Imagine a penalty kick at the end of a game of soccer. If the player scores, she wins. If the player doesn’t, she loses. There is no correct mindset to have during these events, but typically, athletes perform better with an approach mentality — focusing on winning rather than not losing. This mindset can be applied to many goals, such as activity levels. Do you want to get more daily steps in, or do you want to spend less time on the couch? The expected outcome would be the same, but the mindset may affect your motivation.

Adherence to Goals

Motivation tends to fluctuate over time, often coming in waves. While you may feel incredibly motivated to achieve a goal at a particular moment, relying solely on the momentum of future motivation can be risky. Instead, developing habits and routines can prove instrumental in maintaining your goals, especially during periods of low motivation. Establishing consistent behavior patterns allows you to continue progressing even when your motivation wanes.

There are a few ways to adhere to goals. Change the environment around you to support your goals. Avoid putting yourself in an environment where it is difficult to maintain your goals. Eating healthy while going to a fast food restaurant can be mentally taxing. Enlist the support of friends, family, or support groups to hold you accountable and encourage you. The opposite of this can also be positive. Talking about your goals, behavior, or plans can be fulfilling. People can become so satisfied by talking about their goals that they lose the motivation to keep progressing.

Be adaptive; Don’t let going off course prevent you from getting back on. Consider your other goals, or think about the payoff you’ll get in the future.

Conclusion

New Year’s resolutions can be valuable tools for personal growth and transformation. However, it’s crucial to approach goal setting optimally to maximize their effectiveness. Setting realistic goals, maintaining consistent motivation, incorporating short-term objectives, and creating a clear direction can set you up for success. Embrace the power of habits and routines, and remember that goal setting is an ongoing process that requires periodic assessment and adjustment. With these strategies, you can elevate your goal-setting game and achieve long-term success beyond the fleeting nature of New Year’s resolutions.

Despite having grown up in New York, I am a proud and mildly obnoxious fan of the New England Patriots and the intensely competitive while ever-classy Tom Brady. I mean, what can we say: they’re awesome, no matter what you throw at them. Kinda makes you want to emulate their habits.

My favorite lesson from my favorite Quarterback is one I’m not sure I’ve heard him say in so many words, but it is the title of this post. Any fans who are paying attention will be aware that TB12’s new key word is “pliability.” In other words: flexibility, the capacity to adjust and adapt. As he keeps demonstrating through victories that defy age, the Fountain of Youth for athletes is not a rock-hard exterior, ironclad power, or even talents like speed or agility. No, indeed: remaining competitive with young guns is all about rolling with the tide even when it comes after you like a tsunami.

I have come to two conclusions of my own based on this concept:

There is always and only one standard worth achieving: BETTER.
No matter how much or how little improvement has been accomplished, there is never a ceiling to how much further improvement can be achieved, and there is also no reason to dwell on shortfalls compared to an idealized goal. As long as the average trajectory on any path moves upward –even if it moves down a little before moving up a little more– I believe it is safe to call it “the right track.”
Pain is only relevant to the extent that it points to danger. Once danger is eliminated from the equation, pain that is endured rather than eliminated leads to strength.
Discomfort of any sort tends to lead to a hard stop for many, if not most, people who were otherwise on a journey towards personal betterment. I’m going to call it a fortunate circumstance for myself to have grown accustomed to pain, depression and anxiety through various circumstances in life… fortunate, because despite some hard hits, I’m still here. That simple fact opened up an opportunity to understand that even some unthinkable horrors thus far have not stopped me, until I came to a point of realizing I can CHOOSE to not be stopped, regardless of painful circumstances.

I’ve learned this mostly from my new experiences with athletic performance doing CrossFit. As long as the pain doesn’t point to some hidden threat, or as long as any potential threats are mitigated expeditiously (e.g., ice is applied immediately to a muscle or tendon strain), I keep on coming out stronger and stronger… more flexible… more capable… in spite of subjecting myself to the transient pain of the workouts. Upon reaching this epiphany, I began to push myself harder, then developed acumen at understanding the limits beyond which I should not push lest I risk danger of injury, then rapidly identified the limits so as to practice nudging just a little more with each workout…

Then my new epiphany was that I can do this in other areas of my life. Mental and emotional discomfort became the new frontiers of limit-testing. Until they have become the new frontiers of emboldening strength and endurance.

The ability to change when faced with challenges is the Secret to Longevity… The Fountain of Youth, if you will.

Well, change is on the horizon at Thrive Adult Primary Care.

First: a new website is under construction. Please click here to check out our new Home Page.

Second: starting on October 1, 2019, we will be accepting Medicare! This will continue to be the only health plan through whom we will process third-party payment for the foreseeable future. This will mean lots of different things to different patients who carry Medicare plans, but for our active member patients whose insurance does not involve Medicare at all, NO CHANGES will be made to the current Direct Primary Care (DPC) memberships. More info will be shared in the weeks to come.

Third: our DPC pricing plans will also change significantly starting October 1, 2019. Once the rate schedule is finalized, information will be posted. But our current published rates will only be valid through September 30, 2019. So if you’d like to take advantage, contact us soon!

Tag: strength

Optimal Goal Setting: Achieving Success Beyond New Year’s Resolutions