Naturopath Jocelyn Carter and I discuss how to reset your life for 2019. Set some goals and New Year resolutions to improve your life in a sustainable way. You can watch our Facebook discussion
Alas, most New Year resolutions just don’t stick!
Most New Year resolutions remain just that – hope, good intentions and wishful thinking. According to Forbes, by the end of January less than 25% of New Year resolutions are active and only 8% of those making resolutions achieve them. [1]
Small steps vs a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)
To maximise the chance that you will stick to your resolution it is best to select small steps. Once you have achieved one small step then you can add another and so on. A BGAG would be to lose 15% of your body weight in three months and keep it off. But how realistic is this when most are unable to sustain any rapid weight loss of over 10%. A more sustainable strategy would be to implement one change per week. Thos could be to add one cup of fruit or vegetables per day until you have established a habit. In parallel you could reduce your consumption of processed carbohydrates by the same amount.
Pushups – a small step goal that improved my life
At 18 years I had an industrial accident and fractured my spine. So I experience intermittent low back pain like many in the population. While I have access to osteopathy in the clinic I work, BUT I wished to reduce my dependence on this.
After some introspection, I realised that to preserve the integrity of my lower back I needed to strengthen the core muscles around my middle. I needed at strategy that was sustainable and one which was excuse-proof. So I decided to do such-ups every morning after rising from sleep and before my shower. I started with one pushup and was able to do two by the end of the first week. I gradually increased the number of repetitions until I reached ten by six months and then twenty after a year. So now I do 20-25 pushups even morning before my shower unless I am really sick, which is rare. It is still hard work, but it feels good to achieve it every day.
Biohack yourself for more impact
Last month I went to a Biohacking talk at the Wellness Empowerment Collective. Biohacking describes doing an activity in a different and more productive way. The presenter asked for a volunteer for press-ups and I put my hand up. After doing ten pushups, easily I returned to my seat. A little while later the presenter asked me to return and do just five pushups but REALLY slowly. This was so much more difficult and my whole body was quivering by the fifth lift. so I learnt that one biohack that works for me is to slow down my pushups.
What are the most popular resolutions?
New Year resolutions tend to involve a move towards a healthier lifestyle. The most popular intentions include:
- Better nutrition – less junk food, processed foods and more fresh
- More exercise – gym membership bonanza
- More sleep – get to bed earlier
- Save more money – for the big goals
But around one third of you decide NOT to make any New year resolutions. Some of you put off making a resolution until March by which time you have settled into the swing of the yearly routine. March may be a more successful for you than a January strategy.
The CSIRO Healthy Gut Diet
The CSIRO is a government funded research organisation that produces high quality research and publications. As Jocelyn finds this book a useful guide, I am going to check this book out.
Harry’s top three tips to reset for 2019
- Surface WHAT you want to change in your life and WHY. [Your WHY is very important].
- Set SMART goals to access positive change. A SMART goal must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and have Timeline
- Sign up an accountability partner to keep you on track and pick you up if you fall off the track
Jocelyn’s top three tips to reset for 2019
- Analyse your situation
- Make a plan for one change per week
- Get enough sleep
If you would like to take the next step with Harry Armytage, complete the listening scorecard HERE
If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, you can find out how Jocelyn Carter can help you HERE
[1]: FC Organizational Products LLC: 2013 New Year’s Resolutions Survey; October 22, 2012