You're Allowed to Have New Year's Goals.

By: Jillian Foley, RD, LDN Nutritionista

30 years ago it was normal to set a dramatic, unobtainable goal like "no more sugar" or " I'm losing 10 pounds a month". Once we recognized that we were making the same goals each year, which meant we didn't achieve it the year prior, we wised up and stopped making them! All of them!

Setting a goal is less about the achievement, and more about knowing where you are going.

Often, when I ask someone what their New Year's goals are, I get similar replies of " I don't set resolutions" Setting a New Year's goal is dumb". Why, just because we used to set our goals and resolutions wrong, do we need to be dramatic and swing in the complete other direction, having no goals at all? Businesses set yearly and quarterly goals, how else would they know if they are going in the right direction? How else would they know if they should continue with their plan or modify? Can you imagine if a business didn't hit their goal one year and told their employees they will no longer have quotas and deadlines? This is what we sound like!

Giving up on setting a goal is emotional laziness. How cool is it, we are the most evolved animal on this earth? Our prefrontal cortex allows us the ability to remember and reflect on past experience and contemplate our future desires and fears. Some of the greatest philosophers and leaders took the time to assess how they were feeling, what they were procrastinating on, what they lacked discipline in, and set out to work on improving these things.

Let's learn to set New Year's goals!

1. Reflect on the last year. This isn't "new me" starting January 1. This is learning about yourself. Being able to honestly say what you did that you are proud of. Being able to recognize what healthier habits you've created. It's also about being able to recognize what you want to improve WITHOUT beating yourself up about it.

2. Now you are able to recognize what you want to improve. But more importantly, you can create a plan for it. When people don't reach a goal, it's typically because they didn't follow through with the plan.

   example: If someone always says they want nice arms and every year they don't feel like their arms are any stronger, do you think it's because the goal isn't working or they aren't following the plan.

3. Recognize that consistency (not perfection), habits are a HUGE part of your success

   example: If you say you will do arms 2x week for 20 minutes but the second time of the week you only have 10 minutes, you should still do it. It's more about the consistency and building the habit. Most people, however, would just skip that second day because they feel like there is no point. You can imagine then, how motivated and driven they will feel the following week, still pressed for time and already feeling like they screwed up last week.

4. Reevaluating is crucial to making sure you don't forget what you want. AGAIN, less about the goal, more about the plan. We don't evaluate to see if we hit. We reevaluate to remember what we want.

   example: If you said you wanted stronger arms this year, at the end of the month you should test your pull up, push up, plank and bench. Even if you don't feel like it has improved, you do it! It reminds you where you are going.

Setting a goal can be a fun human experience, but only if you do it intelligently and strategically. Follow these steps, keeping in mind it's about the growth more than anything, and I think you will look forward to future New Year's Goals!

Jillian Foley, RD Nutrititionista is a Registered Dietitian that specializes in Food Therapy. She believes that weight-loss & disease prevention/management is 20% food education & 80% psychological. She owns her own practice for 1-on-1 sessions as well as courses. You can find more info @www.Nutritionista267.com Follower her on IG @Nutritionista_1