Don't let your resolutions wash away. Tips to turn a slow start into progress
Aiming to eat better, move more or optimize rest? Most resolutions focus on better health.
From Gen Z to baby boomers, the sweeping consensus across all generations is that good health is the absolute top priority in life, outranking money, education and career.
But good health isn't a gift. We have to work for it, and the older we get, the more challenges arise. If you're feeling a bit stuck or already wavering on your New Year's resolutions, we've got tips.
In exchange, we'd like you to help us with a new reporting project: How to Thrive at Any Age. We want to know your secrets of aging well and help answer your questions too. No matter your age, it's never too soon — or too late — to set yourself up for a long, healthy and purposeful life.
To weigh in, scroll to the bottom or click here to fill out our form.
1. You may need to refine your goal
There's an evidence-based technique to help you refine your goals and see them through by setting up a system to track your progress. This can improve the likelihood of success. It's called the SMART goal process, and if you want to follow it, click here for an explanation of the five-step technique, which helps you set the goal that's right for you.
One common stumbling block is setting an unrealistic goal, so this technique helps you commit to one that's actually achievable.
2. Shift your mindset
Even if you're off to a slow start this year, embrace optimism. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found optimists live longer. There's literally a longevity boost to staying positive amid challenges. And what's the connection to resolutions? There's a strong link between optimism and healthy behaviors. Optimistic individuals tend to have goals and the confidence to reach them, the researchers conclude. Even if you have a tendency to see the glass half empty, research shows optimism can be learned by imagining your best possible self. Practicing optimism may make you better at it — and help you reach your goals.
3. Find a buddy or a group — our habits are contagious
If you aim to eat better or drink less, your chances of success are higher if the people around you are on board too. We are social creatures and tend to mirror the behaviors of those closest to us, even if we don't realize it. Research shows people are more likely to reach body weight goals and maintain weight loss if they're part of a group effort. And studies also find our moods can be contagious too. So it's helpful to surround yourself with like-minded people aiming to make positive changes in their lives.
4. Small habit changes help lead us to good health
It's easy to wish for the magic elixir, the superfood or the new fitness breakthrough that can catapult us to great health. But the reality is that our daily habits shape our health a lot more than we might realize. The science shows our lifestyle choices matter a lot, and these six habits are tied to a reduced risk of everything from heart disease to dementia: good sleep, eating well, staying active, limiting alcohol, cutting back on sedentary screen time and cultivating friendships and social connections. A recent study found people who followed most of these habits cut the risk of depression by more than 50%.
5. Say no to more things in 2024
Time is our most precious resource. To make time for something new, you've got to stop doing something else. As the author Oliver Burkeman points out, if we live an average life span, we're on this planet for only about 4,000 weeks. The title of his book, Four Thousand Weeks, is a reminder of the delusional relationship we have with time, and it brings the brevity of life into clear focus.
"One day," we say to ourselves, about our future goals. Well, if we're serious about accomplishing something new, we realize that "one day" thinking is illusory. Do you actually want to commit to starting now? If so, ask yourself this: What can I say no to today to clear the time to accomplish my goal?
Share your secrets to healthy aging:
We want to hear from you. What habits and lifestyle hacks have you adopted to thrive as you age? What works for you, and what would you like to share with others? And what would you most like to know about the aging process?
This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh.
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Transcript
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
If you made a New Year's resolution last week, but you're struggling to get started or already wavering, it could be that you need to refine your goal and nail down a plan on how to get there. NPR's Allison Aubrey is here to walk us through an evidence-based technique that may help you break through. Hi, Allison.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: OK. So you're going to tell us how to make this happen 'cause it's really hard...
AUBREY: That's right.
FADEL: ...To stick with these resolutions. Why is it so difficult?
AUBREY: Yeah. Well, one obstacle is time. When we want to do something new, whether it's get fit, start a new project, you fill in the blank, we have to make time for it. This may sound so obvious, but it's tough because many of us have so many obligations - the job, family. I spoke to Oliver Burkeman. He wrote a book called "Four Thousand Weeks." And I think his title is really a reality check on our delusional relationship with time. We think we have a lot of it, but over a lifetime we have only about 4,000 weeks - total. That's if you live the average lifespan. So if you're 40, you got about 2,000 weeks left. That's it.
FADEL: Wait, 2,000 weeks left. That sounds much shorter than I understood. I mean - I guess that's right. Each year is just 52 weeks, so really, not a lot of time.
AUBREY: That's right. We blink, it'll be July 4. So if you want to accomplish something this year, you have to stop being the person who says yes to everything, and you have to say no to more things. Oliver Burkeman told me he learned this lesson after he tried to be a highly efficient person and get down to zero unopened emails in his inbox every day. So as soon as an email came in, he'd respond.
OLIVER BURKEMAN: And, of course, what happens then is that you just get loads more email because you reply to people more quickly, and then they reply to you. And you've got to reply to their replies, and it goes on forever. And you get a reputation as being responsive on emails, so more people email you. So in other words, the effort to get on top of email to lighten the burden of email in your life has the effect of making it heavier.
AUBREY: So the email is sort of a metaphor for the conveyor belt of demands and tasks that come our way all the time. And Burkeman says we should not kid ourselves into thinking that we can become faster and more efficient, that we could be all things to all people and try to achieve our goals at the same time.
FADEL: OK. So do less, say no. I would love to do that. But at work and at home, I mean, it just feels impossible sometimes.
AUBREY: Yeah. I mean, there are certainly things we must do. I mean, neither of our editors would be happy if we'd said, oh, don't think we have time for MORNING EDITION this morning, right?
FADEL: Yeah.
AUBREY: Can't say...
FADEL: Not available.
AUBREY: ...No to the kids, (laughter) right? But there is a realistic way to set goals and move towards accomplishing a goal once you've gotten a handle on this finite amount of time you have. A few years ago, I stumbled on a technique called SMART goals, which is this evidence-based approach used in workplaces used by therapists, coaches. I've actually used it in my own life. Now, SMART is an acronym, and the S stands for specific. So you've got to start out by being able to articulate in just a few words or a sentence what you want to accomplish this year. Do you have one in mind?
FADEL: I mean, I have the same one every year where I'm going to work out every day, and I haven't worked out.
AUBREY: OK. Well, the M in SMART stands for measurable. How are you going to track that? You want to work out? You got to monitor your progress. The research shows that when you monitor progress towards a goal, you're more likely to succeed. So if you want to train for a race, tally your mileage. If you're learning to play the piano, log your practice. If you aim to eat better, journal your meals. Tracking provides us with kind of the long view of our progress, and it helps us reflect on how far we've come or how far we still have to go.
FADEL: OK, so M for measure. Makes sense. You make progress that way. So SMART, S-M-A-R-T - that means A is next. What does the A stand for?
AUBREY: Achievable. Is your goal actually doable? That's the question you're asking yourself. And one way to determine this is to break it down into smaller pieces. Write those building blocks into a plan or on a calendar. I did this when I trained for a marathon years ago with a bunch of other first-timers. We used a method where you calculate how long it's going to take to build up to 26 miles based on your current distances, and over the course of several months, you add a mile, then another mile. It made a goal that seemed daunting at first actually doable, breaking it down into smaller chunks.
FADEL: OK. So, of course, a big goal like a marathon - I mean, you have to have commitment to do that. Is that important?
AUBREY: Yes, exactly. This is my favorite part of the SMART goal approach. The R in SMART is for relevant. And this means you're asking yourself kind of the why behind your goal. One way to test the relevancy of your goals is to ask what's known as the five whys. I spoke to a therapist, Keisha Moore-Medina, who uses this with some of her clients.
KEISHA MOORE-MEDINA: It puts you in a place to explore deeper motivations and intentions around your goal. So if your goal is, I want to work out more, the first why would be, why do I want to work out more? And then you ask, why is it important to me? Well, it's to improve my fitness and physical health. Why is improving my physical and fitness health so important?
AUBREY: And often the answer to that is, you know, I want to get stronger or more fit so I can have quality time with the important people in my life...
FADEL: Yeah.
AUBREY: ...My kids, or be able to pick up my grandkids. So your goals should reflect your values. And the final step of this technique, Leila, the T in SMART, is for time or time-bound, which really takes us back to where we started. In order to achieve a goal, you need a deadline, and you need the time to do it, because time really is our most precious resource.
FADEL: Yeah. I mean, you mentioned that you've used this SMART goal approach. Has it helped?
AUBREY: Well, we'll see. It led me to the realization that I want to focus in on one reporting project this year. I've tossed aside a lot of other interests to kind of drill down into the new science of longevity and aging well. My project is nominally called How to Thrive as You Age, and perhaps motivated by my acceptance of that 4,000-week concept.
FADEL: Yeah.
AUBREY: We are all here for a very finite time. So I want listeners and readers to get involved. If you want to share your secrets, your pearls of wisdom, or if you have questions about aging, well, we'll have a digital post up on npr.org so you can weigh in.
FADEL: Oh, I'm looking forward to that. I have so many questions. NPR's Allison Aubrey. Thanks, Allison.
AUBREY: Thank you, Leila.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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