How to set attainable goals instead of resolutions for the new year

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Mindset is the key to achieving long-term success in anything that you do. When it comes to transitioning to a healthier lifestyle, changing your perspective is the first and most crucial thing that will make your daily decisions—about that glass of wine, slice of cake, or teaspoon of sugar—feel easier. Don’t think of lifestyle changes as a punishment to put yourself through to hit a certain weight or clothing size, celebrate the fact that you get to take care of yourself. It’s not enough to simply want to lose 10 pounds; numbers on a scale are too abstract and arbitrary (and don’t account for muscle gain, fat loss, or water weight, anyway).

Bust-A-Rut’s lead health consultant Angela Hancock says, “There has to be an emotional connection—consider the effect that improving your health will have on the quality of your life. How will losing those 10 pounds change the way you feel? What will your relationships with yourself, your spouse, your children, and co-workers look like when you feel comfortable in your own skin and with what you see in the mirror?”

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Health is not a fixed state; it’s an ongoing process that you keep working at over time. Inches and pounds can be gained as quickly as they are lost, and engaging in extreme short-term diets or “cleanses” rarely provides the framework with which you can sustain long-term change. By seeing your health not as a destination but a journey peppered with exciting emotional milestones, it’ll be easier for you to make better choices and enjoy yourself along the way.

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Speaking of choices, it’s crucial to understand that every little decision will add up to massive results over time. Instead of fad or crash regimens that set you up for failure once they’re over, the cumulative effect of small but healthy daily decisions has more powerful and long-lasting effects. It may seem hard to pass up the sugar in your coffee at first but with practice, you’ll go from thinking “I can’t have that” to “I don’t want it,” then not thinking about it at all. If you dread exercise and often put it off, make your workout the first thing you do every day and get it out of the way. Eventually, it’ll become second nature; a part of your daily routine that’s as prosaic but non-negotiable as brushing your teeth.

Learning how to live a healthier life is like training a muscle; it will not suddenly develop overnight. Research shows it takes 21 days to develop a new neural pathway—a habit—in the brain, which is why you should be patient with yourself. So many people are so stuck in the “all-or-nothing” mentality that they become far too critical of themselves and become wracked with guilt and shame when they don’t see instant results or immediately master new exercises.

Hancock says, “I encourage my clients to acknowledge that critical voice and tell themselves, ‘Thank you for your opinion but I’m doing the best I can right now, so I’d appreciate your support.’ I ask them to treat themselves as they would a child, with love, compassion and understanding. Positive change does not come through harshness and criticism, and lasting change must come from a place of self-love.”