How can you set realistic health and wellness goals for the new year?

Before getting to the point of setting goals - it is important to identify the underlying reason. Having a short term reason is great - but it is also important to have a reason that will keep any new habits for a longer time period

The New Year brings with it aspirations to do better and feel better.For many, it also tends to remind us about things you may want to change about yourself or in yourself. Goal setting is one of the ways we can motivate ourselves to begin changing things we want to change. Unfortunately, they can also remind us about failures. In my experience, it is best to stay away from thoughts of failure,and focus instead on success-based metrics. Metrics for Success are Simple, Clear, and Incremental. Metrics should be easy to accomplish, part of your daily routine. and integrate physical activity and dietary modifications If you add barriers you increase your chances of failure. So, eliminate the barriers and enjoy your success!

Healthcare requires healthy people to take care of our patients. Especially after the pandemic, health and wellness has suffered across the healthcare sector for a multitude of different reasons. Each person requires an individual approach to health and wellness.

As a physician and a certified personal trainer, and a fitness enthusiast, I can definitely tell you that without strong goals, it will be challenging to be successful in health and wellness. Using the SMART goals method will help you develop realistic goals. SMART goals are: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time bound Make your goals fit within these parameters and you will have a better chance of developing realistic health and wellness goals.

One thing that I have noticed from working with physical therapy and wellness clients is that once a goal is met, the processes and habits that my clients use to achieve it can fall off, and they can lose motivation to continue to exercise and maintain their improvements. Now, when I start with a client, I will often ask them to visualize the person that they would like to be, for example: "I want to be a person who can continue to keep up with my children as they grow." Keeping that vision in their minds helps them to continue to act in ways that are consistent with the person they visualize.

Setting goals is a necessary element for advancing health and wellness. SMART goals are one proven methodology that can be helpful in driving goals and clearly communicating them. As healthcare executives, it's critical for us to provide the necessary support and resources to help our teams achieve their goals and objectives.

When developing health and wellness goals, it is important to create milestones along the way. Break up your realistic goal into smaller objectives that build up to your final goal. This will allow you to work towards a more immediate achievement and thereby keep you motivated to moving forward. Once you’ve achieved the smaller objective, you can move to the next one, and the next, until you achieve your final goal.

Sometimes, large projects can be quite burdensome and even intimidating. If you break down the project into smaller milestones, it becomes much more manageable. With each win, take a moment to celebrate it before moving onto the next. This creates positive reinforcement for the team all along the way.

When it comes to developing your health and wellness goals, it is important to incorporate a support network as part of your program. Create a strong network that will keep you accountable as well as provide you with the support you need when times get challenging in your health and wellness journey. This could be trusted friends or family or it could be someone professional, like a personal trainer. The important thing is to find a few people to provide the support you need, when you need it.

Building a professional network can open many doors for leaders. A network of peers serve as advisors, mentors, and confidants along your professional journey. We often find that our colleagues are experiencing the same types of struggles that we are, and we can collaborate together across our networks to solve them.

Regular check points provide a view into your overall progress towards your goals and objectives. These snapshot opportunities are equally helpful for both employees and leadership.

Before you set realistic future goals, you must review your previous routine. Perform an environmental scan to ensure that you have the correct supports in place for success in the new year. Start by conducting a retrospective review of your previous wellness routines. What should you do differently? If you didn’t have a wellness regime, how can you change your approach and commit to a routine program? Once you have reviewed your previous routines, focus on your current physical and mental health needs. What habits do you need to change to improve your overall health? Create a list of goals that include details and resources to support your success.

The book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, is a fantastic resource for those looking to successfully integrate an exercise habit into their lives.