Step Up Your New Year’s Resolutions!

It’s getting to that time when people are starting to lose motivation to keep up with all of their New Year’s resolutions. Before you throw in the towel, here are some suggestions for how you can make sure you stick to your goals this year!

Make Clear Measurable Goals:

If your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, learn a new skill like speaking Spanish or to eat healthier, make sure you get even more specific so you have something to measure. Below are some ideas for how you can make your goal more measurable. You can measure your goal by frequency, duration, distance, etc.

Get In Shape:	Eat Healthier:	Learn Spanish:
– Spend 30+ minutes 3x per week walking/running/lifting weights – Run or walk at least 10,000 steps per day – Follow along with one workout video each day	– Eat 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day – Eat no more than 20 grams of sugar per day – Drink at least 64oz of each day	– Sign up for a language learning app. Spend 15+ minutes per day using the app – Learn 1 vocabulary word each day – Grab coffee with a friend weekly and only speak Spanish.

Keep Track of Data:

Now that you have your goals set, we need to collect data. Below is a free printable version of a daily habit tracker, created by Master Trainer Tialha, that helps you track up to five daily goals at a time. You can use this one or use whatever works best for you!

Reward Yourself:

When you set your goal, you need to know what your consequences are for meeting or not meeting your goal(s).  If you are looking to increase a behavior, you’ll need reinforcement to increase the likelihood that you will continue to meet your goals in the future (i.e., either earning a preferred item/activity/etc. or removing a non-preferred item/activity/etc.). Below are some examples of reinforcers you could earn for meeting your goal. Money You buy a gift card for your favorite store and when you meet your goal, you get to use the gift card. You can’t shop at this store without a gift card. Activity Each week or month that you meet your goal, you can plan a fun activity with your partner or friend! Food If you reach your goal, order your favorite dish or dessert!

Additional Tips:

• Accountability: It’s easy to lose motivation as the days and weeks pass, so it’s important to have someone to check-in with. Get a performance manager who monitors your data and decides if you met your goal each week or month. You can even give them control of delivering the reinforcement (i.e., they keep the gift cards and only give them to you once you meet your goal).
• Start Small: Set small goals and once you meet those you can up the ante. For example, if you currently only drink 24 oz of water, set your goal for 32 oz and then when you meet your goal for several weeks in a row, raise it to 64 oz.
• Use an app: You could use an app like StikK that lets you select your goal (daily, weekly, or a one-time goal) and referee to help keep you accountable. You are able to link a card or account to have money on the table. If you don’t meet your set goal then the amount of money that you wagered is sent to either a charity, anti-charity, someone you select, or to StikK.