Goal Tending is a Good Thing

By Jennifer Harris, Wellness Director at the Clark County Branch

As the Wellness Director at the YMCA of Southern Indiana, I have come to expect that New Year’s resolutions start to fade away around this time of year. Even the best of intentions seem to be no match for the advancing weeks and months. I myself am a victim of resolution failure—although it never stops me from making the same resolution every year.

When I became pregnant with my first child, I vowed that I would become more organized and do a better job of clearing the clutter out of my life. Hank is almost seven years old now and I am still battling with piles of stuff at home and in my office. I always start out strong but then something happens to knock me off track, to which I’m sure many people can relate. This year, as I contemplated my resolution, and subsequent failure of that resolution, it occurred to me that I should follow the very same advice I have been giving to others all along.

Through the years of working in health and wellness, I have found that people tend to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of their goals. Without proper planning and support, it is easy to just give up and wait until next year to try and fail again. Here are some steps that can help keep you on track with any goal:

1. Write It Down: Putting your goal down on paper makes it more real and may help you think a little bit more about what it is that you actually want to achieve. It may even be helpful to continue journaling as you go through the process of reaching your goal.
   
   
2. Be Specific: Do not just say, “I want to lose weight.” As you write down your goal, state exactly what it is you want to achieve and what you are willing to do to get there. For example, “I want to lose 20 pounds over the next six months by exercising five days per week, watching my portion sizes, and making healthier food choices.”
   
   
3. Take Baby Steps: The example above is definitely more specific than “I want to lose weight,” but what if you are currently exercising no days per week, your portion sizes are off the chart, and you eat fast food every day? It is not realistic to think that you can completely change your lifestyle in an instant. This is where baby steps come in, otherwise known as short-term goals. Just pick one or two behaviors that you feel ready to change and start with those. Using the above example, the goal for the first month might be to start exercising one or two days per week and substituting one healthy meal for a fast food meal each week. The key is to take it slowly, commit to positive changes that are realistic for you, and build upon your success as you go along.
   
   
4. Reward Yourself: The problem with most goals is that they generally take longer to achieve than we would like. When we do not see instant results, we get discouraged and give up. A great way to counteract this is to build in a reward system. As you make your short-term goals, part of the process should be to write down what your reward will be for completing that baby step. In the example, maybe you will reward yourself with new workout clothes for completing your exercise goal, or a healthy cookbook for meeting your nutrition goal for the month. Staying motivated can be difficult, but having something to look forward to each month can help.
   
   
5. Enlist Support: The most successful goal-setters do not attempt to go it alone, because it is very easy to give up on a goal when no one else knows about it. While writing it down on paper makes it more real, telling someone about your goal brings it to life. Find at least one person you trust to share your goal with - someone who can help keep you motivated, hold you accountable and even get down in the trenches with you.

Reaching a goal is never easy, but with the right tools anyone can do it. If you are someone whose New Year’s resolution is slipping out of reach, I challenge you to give it another try. The YMCA of Southern Indiana provides a great atmosphere for people who are ready to make a change in their lives. Here you will find a staff dedicated to serving its members and a diverse group of members who are welcoming and supportive.

One of the greatest things about my job at the Y is seeing those members who are successful in reaching their goals. This year, I plan to be one of them too.