We’re nearing the end of the year, a time when many of us take stock of our lives and resolve to make some changes in the new year.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that a recent poll indicated that over half of New Year’s resolutions are health related. The top health resolutions are to exercise more/get in shape, lose weight, eat healthier, increase self-care and live life to the fullest.

Unfortunately, New Year’s Resolutions are notoriously short lived. We want to help change that by sharing a few tips and strategies that health coaches use to help their clients reach their health and wellness goals.

How to improve your chances of success:

• Choose a goal that is important to YOU and what YOU VALUE – not what others or society dictates. Spend some time reflecting on what really matters to you and set a goal that resonates with what you value most—what gives you meaning and purpose in life. (In coaching we call this your “WHY”—the reason you are willing do the work that lasting change requires.) Having a goal that aligns with what matters to you is the key to staying motivated and getting back on track when you have a setback.

• Use the SMART goal setting process to formalize your goal and create action steps. The SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound:

  • Specific – Who, What, Where, Why, How?

  • Measurable – How will you measure success?

  • Attainable, Realistic – Is my goal attainable? Do I have or will I commit to obtaining the necessary resources (time, money) and support (family, friends) needed to succeed?

  • Timeline – make a timeline of what needs to happen at what intervals to meet your goal at a realistic pace

  Taken together, an example of a SMART goal statement might be:

  “I will increase my physical activity to an average of 10,000 steps per day/weekly (as determined by a pedometer/fitness tracker) within four months through daily walks and/or working out at the gym so that I can have more energy and vitality to enjoy my life more fully.”

  This overarching goal can then be broken down to specific mini-goals or action steps. One of the first mini-goals to reach the goal of 10,000 steps a day might be:

  “I will buy some walking shoes and a pedometer or fitness tracker by the end of this week.”

  Each of these action steps should also be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable and time-bound.

  This SMART Goals Worksheet is a great tool to write down your goals in a format that can help you maintain accountability and track your progress. There are also many free health apps for your smartphone to keep track of your health goals.

• Make your goal public. Once you have set a SMART goal – announce it to your friends and family.

• Practice positive psychology which focuses on what is right with us—not what is wrong with us. This means framing your goals in a positive way and not engaging in negative thinking. It also means leveraging your unique strengths that have helped you overcome challenges in the past.

  There are 24 character strengths that all of us have to some degree. Your top go-to strengths that define who you are called your “signature strengths.” These strengths are instrumental to your successes in life and likely the traits that other people recognize in you—even when you don’t recognize them in yourself. These same character strengths are also useful in keeping your New Year’s resolution.

  Can you guess what you’re signature strengths might be? Scan the list of character strengths below and write down ten character strengths that you believe are integral to who you are or have helped you overcome challenges in the past. Then go the VIA Institute website and take their online Character Strengths Survey. You’ll get a report ranking your character strengths from those that come naturally to you to those that you use less often. Now compare this ranking to the strengths you wrote down.

It’s important to note that all character strengths can be under- or over-used and learning how to use these strengths in a balanced way is the goal.

The takeaway here is to ask yourself, How can I use my strengths to help me reach my goals?

• Accept that change is a process that doesn’t happen overnight. There are six stages of change that are necessary for a new habit to become permanent. Each stage is important and skipping over certain ones is what derails many New Year’s resolutions. The entire change process takes several months and typically not linear — meaning one might progress to stage four, get discouraged or suffer a major life event, and fall back to stage one or two. Understanding the stages of change helps you identify where you are in the process, how to progress to the next stage and how to recover if you are stuck or bouncing between stages.

  Stage 1: Pre-contemplation – You don’t believe there is a need for change. Or, maybe you tried to change in the past without success and have given up. In your mind, the cons of changing far outweigh the pros. Example: Bob was just diagnosed with pre-diabetes and refuses to follow the diet/exercise plan prescribed by his doctor. He thinks his doctor is over-reacting and besides, diabetes doesn’t run in his family.

  To move to the next stage, Contemplation, you will need to learn information that makes you realize there is cause for change and the benefits of that change outweigh the cons.

  Stage 2: Contemplation – You now accept that there is a need to change and are thinking about taking action, but you’re not ready to get started. The key word here is “thinking” about change. Example: Bob finally read the information his doctor gave him about his health condition. Now he understands the risks and consequences of not following doctor’s orders. He is also concerned about the cost of diabetes medications and their potential side effects. He believes that following his doctor’s advice is a good idea but feels overwhelmed with what/how to act on it.

  To move from contemplation to action, it helps to imagine how your life will be better when you make the change. You can even journal about your brighter future with this change or make a vision board for inspiration. You might also want to talk to people who have already made the change you want to make. Imagining a future where you have made the change and are reaping the benefits can create enough confidence and enthusiasm to move to the next stage, preparing to take action.

  Stage 3: Preparation – You are getting ready to take action, gathering information, making plans and taking small steps to prepare for actual change. You now believe the pros of change outweigh any cons. You are motivated and working to help ensure success by anticipating and preparing for potential obstacles. Example: Bob decided to take his doctor’s advice and is attending a weekly diabetes support group to learn about the prescribed diet and exercise plan and how to implement his lifestyle changes. He is excited to get started and looking forward to getting his health back on track.

  A word of caution: Some people tend to get stuck in preparation mode or fluctuate between contemplation and preparation. This can happen when a person has already tried to make the same change before and are starting over. Fear of not succeeding can lead to getting stuck in perpetual preparation. One way to help prevent this is to set a start date for the planned change and announce that date to friends and family.

  Stage 4: Action – You are now taking action and following your plan set forth in the previous stage. The tortoise wins this race as slow and steady change is desired as it builds self-awareness, confidence and momentum. Making progress and staying positive are the focus, not perfection. During this stage you’ll want to avoid situations that might trigger old habits you are trying to replace with healthy ones. If you trip up, don’t beat yourself up. Just learn from it, make an adjustment and move on. Example: Bob is gradually getting used to his new way of eating and increasing his physical activity overtime. He has been tempted to “cheat” at times, but the support group is helping him learn how to avoid these situations and stay motivated.

  After six months of consistently following your action plan, you’re on to Stage 5.

  Stage 5: Maintenance – Your changes are now part of your daily routine and you’re keeping it interesting by expanding your knowledge and experiences. Your confidence is growing and the risk of lapses decreases with each passing day. Example: Bob has settled into his new diet and exercise routine and is seeing vast improvement in his blood glucose levels and other health markers. He has lost 15 lbs and is enjoying being physically fit and having more energy. His progress and results are motivating him to keep it up.

  When lapses occur at this late stage, it is generally due to a major life event like a move, job loss, divorce/breakup, or a death in the family. (If a lapse leads to an extended period of inaction it’s possible to move out of Maintenance and back into Preparation or Contemplation. When this happens, you repeat the process and stages as before. ) After being in maintenance for two years or more you have reached the point where your changes are your new normal and you can’t imagine going back. You’re now in the final stage—Termination.

  Stage 6: Termination – Behavior change is now fully integrated into your life and there is no temptation to return to old habits. But that doesn’t mean growth is over. In this stage you can build on your success and achieve new goals. (For this reason, some change models call this stage “Repeat” not Termination.) Example: Bob is a changed man. He still attends the diabetes support group occasionally to share his story and encourage others to learn how to take control of their health.

  Experts believe only 15 to 20% of people make it to termination. But this should not discourage you or diminish all the hard work and benefits gained in prior stages including self-awareness, knowledge and personal growth. Therefore, reaching the maintenance stage is considered a substantial achievement.

The bottom line…

Change takes time and effort, so be sure your goals reflect what truly makes you happy and gives your life meaning. Plan for this change as you would any other important event – have a clear vision of where you want go and how you will get there. Make SMART goals, “to do lists,” and reminders on your calendar or fridge—whatever it takes to keep your goals in front of you every day. Make sure everyone who matters to you is your ally. Let them know how important your goal is to you and ask for their support. Avoid saboteurs. Anticipate potential obstacles and temptations and have a plan for how you will deal with them. Celebrate wins, learn from the inevitable setbacks, and remember your “WHY” as it is your north star.

Be Well!