What are your 2024 new year health goals?

Debra L. Glasser, M.D.

PHOTO BY GLORIA TOWNE

It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?

- Henry David Thoreau

It’s January 9^th and research shows that just six days from now (on January 15^th), 92% of our New Year’s Resolutions will have failed. Welcome to the crowd! Was Jan 1 really only eight days ago?!

Last week, my usual yoga class at the Y was jam-packed! Noting my surprise to our teacher par excellence, Alyssa, she laughed. “We yoga teachers call these ‘the Resolutionists.’ We know the pattern. No worry: within weeks our class will be back to its usual size.” Her point is: the room won’t be so crowded that you have to squeeze in your mat. My point is, let’s set some health goals that have a chance to succeed!

It turns out that Aristotle about 2000 years ago, was the first to write about goals. He said, “First, have a definite clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, material and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.”

It was not until the 1060s that Edwin A. Locke and Gary P. Latham developed the new science of goal setting. The field has blossomed since, particularly as it relates to business and work. Edwin and Locke began this new ‘science’ by delineating what goal setting is and how you can make it work for yourself.

Goals are different than resolutions.

Resolutions are based on a theme or direction. For instance, “I’m going to go to yoga class this year, eat better and get more rest.” They are not bad health directions in themselves, but as science has shown, 92% of resolutions like these fail within two weeks.

Successful goal setting with the best chance for success involves a handful of distinct features that matter:

1. CLARITY and SPECIFICITY– the clearer, more specific, and exact the goal, the more likelihood for success.
2. PUT THEM IN WRITING and in detail. It turns out that by writing your goals and carrying them around on you, you increase your likelihood of success by 50%! You might also post them somewhere you can see regularly to check on your progress and remind yourself what is important to you because… minutia steals our time, energy, and attention (like the ants).
3. CHALLENGING – ambitious yet challenging and attainable goals are more likely to be successful. Success is energizing! And may even be self-perpetuating.
4. ACCEPTED by ourselves – in other words, the goal does not so strongly challenge our beliefs that we cannot succeed. After all, goal achievement usually involves sacrificing something or putting aside a certain habit that does not serve the intended goal.
5. FEEDBACK – sharing your goal with someone else gives you accountability that can enhance success.
6. MEASURABLE – see a few examples below
7. DEADLINES – i.e., giving oneself a specific yet attainable timeline.

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

- Confucius 551-479 B.C

More tips for success in achieving goals:  

• Take each goal and divide it into smaller measurable pieces or microsteps – write those down too! Some call this ‘reducing task complexity’ by turning a long-term goal into several small goals that are more achievable in the short term and lead to success overall.
• Develop an action plan for each microstep.
• Include a timeline for each small step too.
• What structure do you need to succeed? Get up earlier? Limit screen time? Pick a realistic number and stick to it! You are on the screen 3 hours a day now – OK start by reducing it to 2.5 realistically and voila: there are those 30 minutes to exercise!

You are encouraged to write down all your goals for 2024 in every area of your life. But being this is a medical and health column, let’s narrow this down to some possible challenging but attainable HEALTH GOALS.  

HEALTH GOALS to consider

Healthcare:

• Do you need to find a doctor? Your insurance changed. Your doctor retired or moved away.  You’ve simply avoided that overdue checkup. What steps will be needed to succeed? Write them down with a timeline.
• Are there follow-ups or tests that are not done?
• Are there issues you need to discuss with your doctor, rather than your friends, or keeping in your head? Take the worry out of your head and to your doctor!

Assortment of healthy food ingredients for cooking on a wooden kitchen table.

Lifestyle – Diet and Eating:

• This is on many a New Year’s Resolutions list! Be specific with your goals. Not, “I want to eat more healthily, “but instead: I want to increase my daily fruit and vegetable servings from 2 to 4 by the end of March and 6 by the end of the year. What are the small steps to accomplish this? I will eat a salad with my pizza, steamed veggies with my burger and lunch (vs skipping it) on most workdays when I need to function at my best.
• Shopping goals are part of healthy eating – E.g., I will grocery shop every weekend and buy salad fixings that I will eat before they rot. LOL! I will start simply with bagged salad, baby tomatoes, and salad dressing in jars.
• Cooking vs. Eating Out – commit to cooking a nutritional meal 1-2x more often in a week than you do now. Micro steps to consider might include: keeping a grocery list (I keep mine updated in my phone note, having lost too many paper lists), shopping at your favorite stores, and perhaps making meal plans.
• Feeding your body good nutrition is a big commitment that is time-consuming but well worth the effort for your health. Break this goal into small steps. Old habits change in small bites.

Three people walking in a park, getting some exercise

Exercise:

Every study shows that exercise improves health, quality of life, strengthens our heart and prevents dementia, etc etc. Ah huh.

Many hear the “E” word and think, UGH. I hate exercise.

How about a goal to first open to the possibility that you will find a way to exercise that you enjoy?  The CDC guidelines for adult activity levels are for 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking) and two days a week of muscle strengthening.

Examples of some steps toward exploring options could be:

I’ll try walking outside, on a treadmill at a gym that offers a one-week trial membership, turning on and riding that stationary bike in the garage, etc. Then, ask yourself what you will commit to for a set period of time. Start with 30 minutes twice a week for 2 weeks, reassess, and proceed to the next step toward the year’s goal.   

Active recreation and hobbies absolutely can be part of your exercise goal. One of mine is to do more cycling in the spring. I have some steps to accomplish to be all set to ride around Thurston County on my new hybrid bicycle.

Mental health:

What's unresolved, weighing you down, interfering with your feeling calm and at peace?

What might you do to feel better?

Do you need to get some support? How?

Change relationships?

Set boundaries?

NOW ⇒TAKE SOME TIME TO WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS.

Start somewhere, discover your intentions, and make a commitment to your life and health goals for 2024.  Share them with a trusted friend and fold them into your pocket or purse. Take the first baby step and feel the breath of energy you get to stay the course!

Debra L. Glasser, M.D., is a retired internal medicine physician in Olympia. Got a question for her? Write drdebra@theJOLTnews.com