Transform Your Life: Innovative Strategies for New Year Habit Formation and Lifestyle Revamps!

By REBEKAH HALL
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — A fresh year frequently involves commitments to enhance wellness, establish a new routine or alter one’s conduct. To more effectively accomplish these modifications, Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life expert at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, suggests creating SMART objectives by ensuring they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-sensitive.
One of the greatest obstacles individuals encounter when attempting to develop a new habit is “anticipating to be flawless right from the start,” Schrick stated.
“Often, if we ‘fail’ at something, we tend to abandon it,” she remarked. “What is overlooked here is the concept that practice is essential. It cannot be an all-or-nothing mindset, and that’s generally how we tackle New Year’s resolutions. Allow yourself some grace and grant yourself the chance to reset multiple times.”
Schrick indicated that when initiating a change, it doesn’t need to occur on a Monday or at the beginning of the month or year. It can commence at any moment, on any day. “You can simply resolve, ‘I need to recommit to that,’” she said.
Setting SMART objectives
Schrick advises formulating SMART goals: those that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-sensitive.
Specific and Measurable: “Your goal cannot merely be something like, ‘I need to become healthier,’” Schrick mentioned. “That’s not notably constructive. But if you refine it to ‘I wish to consume more vegetables, so I will aim to include them in two meals each day,’ then that is specific enough for you to conveniently monitor.”
Attainable: Schrick mentioned individuals should establish goals that aren’t overly ambitious or unrealistic. “It must be something that can genuinely be accomplished,” Schrick noted. “If you have never run in your life, but you declare, ‘This summer, I’m going to run a marathon,’ you might be able to do it, however, you’re likely setting yourself up for disappointment. But you’re more inclined to achieve a 5k event by the summer.”
Relevant: Discovering a genuine motivation that is meaningful within one’s own life and aspirations is crucial for making progress toward a goal. “It has to be something you genuinely desire to accomplish,” Schrick asserted. “There must be a motivating element that isn’t solely, ‘I want to look better in swimwear by the summer’ or ‘My mother advised me to get healthier.’ It needs to be something personally significant to you.”
Time-sensitive: The aim should have a defined conclusion or inherent deadline, where it is either met or it isn’t. “It can be your goal to achieve it every day,” Schrick explained. “It doesn’t have to be something distant. If your target is to eat two servings of vegetables daily, but you miss it one day, that doesn’t imply you must give up. You can simply try again the next day.”
Consider beyond physical health
Although physical health often dominates many New Year’s commitments, Schrick suggested it’s beneficial to contemplate other types of changes that can enhance mental and emotional well-being.
“While enhancing our physical health is a commendable objective, frequently, what occurs is that we move on from it when we don’t see progress as swiftly as we expect,” Schrick mentioned.
Setting a goal to read additional books, make more effort to connect with friends, or spend more time outdoors are all modifications that can feel gratifying from the inside out.
“I also appreciate the concept of adjusting our perspectives on things,” Schrick stated. “Choosing to be kinder to yourself, or speaking more gently to yourself in your thoughts, can significantly help. Try to intercept your negative emotions before they amplify into self-criticism.
Those words can have a tremendous effect, which you may not recognize the benefits of until it becomes relevant,” she said. “It could be months of practicing this before you realize, ‘Oh wow, my initial thought wasn’t a negative one this time.’ That can be incredibly beneficial.”
Opting to organize one’s living environment more frequently can also substantially influence mental health, and Schrick mentioned it is a good strategy for developing a new habit overall. This can also be a constructive objective to set as a family, and progress can be monitored using a chore chart or other visual tracking methods.
“Engage with your children about how you all share this area, so you’re going to share the effort it takes to maintain cleanliness,” Schrick suggested. “Perhaps you can have a collaborative incentive for accomplishing it. ‘If we can keep the house tidy and meet all of our objectives this week, then we can order pizza on Friday night’ — whatever suits your family.
“Just having those common goals, and that visual tracker, aids in holding each other accountable for ensuring tasks get completed,” Schrick stated.
For further information and resources regarding family life, visit the Cooperative Extension Service’s Personal and Family Well-Being webpage.