It’s that time of year again… New Starts, Goals, Resolutions… But, what is the difference between a Resolution and a PLAN? Statistically, almost everyone makes a resolution, and almost nobody sticks to that resolution!
Resolutions tend to be vague, missing clarity and specifics. They tend to be thoughts like “This year I want to lose weight” or “I want to make better eating choices”. Those are great thoughts, but what do they really mean? How much weight? What is a better eating choice? How would you know if you are successful? Do you have a time frame? Someone to hold you accountable?
I work with people all the time who have the best intentions, they even intuitively know what they need to do: exercise more, eat fewer carbs, more healthy foods like vegetables, avocados, healthy protein, etc. But, they keep going around in the circle where they don’t get where they want to go. They get defeated, they stop trying and regress to bad habits. It can be a vicious cycle.
Sometimes, it is a matter of a lack of clarity. They know they want and need to feel better, but they don’t exactly know what is in their way. Is there a nutrient deficiency? Are they toxic? Are there lab markers out of range that need to be addressed – things like glucose, A1c, insulin, triglycerides, inflammatory markers like C Reactive protein? It’s hard to make an improvement if you don’t know exactly what you are trying to improve.
Maybe it’s as simple as knowing what to do, but lacking the traction to get it done. Lack of a specific, detailed plan and accountability are at the heart of this issue. This is where a coach helps big time.
Many times it’s both of these issues I mentioned above. A lack of clarity leading to an inability to make a detailed plan and execute it. I see this very often. Once we do some analysis, we get clarity and then create a step by step plan that is designed to get results. I also have a fabulous health coach, Tara, who works with me to help people create and implement the plans we put together based on our analysis.
Here are a few things I would highly recommend if you fall into the category of making a resolution year after year that doesn’t seem to go anywhere:
- Get clear. What do you want? Very specifically outline what you want, when you want it and how you are going to measure success. Put this all on paper. If you don’t it’s just a thought or a dream.
- Look for like-minded people to surround yourself with. If you want to become healthier, look for others on that journey. Find friends who will exercise with you, encourage you and support you. Be that kind of person for others who need support also. If you are married, enlisting your spouse on this journey is fantastic. I love to see couples come to see me to go on their health-improvement journey together. This usually leads to better outcomes when both people are on the same page.
- Using the goals you set, develop a step by step plan. What does every meal look like? When does every workout happen? This can feel overwhelming at first, but it’s very important. If you don’t do this, old habits have a way of creeping back in and old patterns take over. It can be tedious for the first few months, and then a new, healthier lifestyle becomes a habit, and you don’t have to think about working out every day. It’s just what you do.
If you need some help figuring out you need to do to get where you want to go, you might want to reach out to myself and my team about gathering some information on where you health markers are now? What needs to change? If you are just having issues around executing, we have health coaching options that help you create and stick to a plan. We are here to help however we can!
Either way, you can reach out to us using this link to have a free phone consultation where we listen and connect you with the solution that’s best for you.
To your health,
Dr. Jeni
