Don't set unrealistic goals for the New Year

Happy New Year! Welcome back to school. I hope you got some rest and had some fun over the break.

This semester boasts not only a new year but a new decade. If ever there were a time for resolutions, this would be it. What is your New Year tradition? Do you dig out old rusty resolutions and polish them up again? Do you make bright and shiny new resolutions every Jan. 1? Or is it just another day, another year for you? Many of us use the turning of the calendar to rev up our resolve. We’re determined to lose weight, quit drinking coffee and get in tiptop shape — and all by the end of January.

Have you heard the saying “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other?” Too often that is the case, especially when we set our sights too high. We expect too much of ourselves, then feel bad when we inevitably fall short. Does that mean we shouldn’t try to make changes? No. It just means we need to be sensible about it.

I’m all for goals and very much in favor of enthusiasm. If you are determined to make some lifestyle changes, more power to you. I’m your biggest fan and strongest supporter. And I know you need to make some changes if you’re going to be healthier. We all do. But, at the risk of raining on your parade, I’m here to urge you to take half a chill pill first.

Start small and go slow is all I’m saying. You didn’t get this heavy, or this out of shape, or this dependent on caffeine overnight, right? So don’t expect to reverse it overnight. The most lasting change happens incrementally. Cut out dessert on weekends to start. Walk ten minutes a day at the beginning. Switch one cup to decaf at a time. The deliberate approach is hardly dramatic or glamorous, I know, but it is effective for most lifestyle changes. Remember the old story of the tortoise and the hare? Slow and steady wins the race.

Think of a child learning to walk. First they crawl, then stagger and fall, then toddle and finally walk. It’s a natural progression, and entirely effective. After all, have you ever seen a normal nine-year-old regress to crawling
everywhere? No. Once you’re walking, you’re walking.

Slow and steady. Don’t trash those shiny goals. Just take them out one at a time, and approach them with moderation. Set yourself up for success, and, eventually, you’ll get there.

Notable exceptions might include smoking and drug use. Certain substances are easier to quit cold turkey. But for most big lifestyle changes, baby steps are best.

Peggy Spencer, MD is a board certified Family Physician. She has been a UNM Student Health physician for 17 years, and a Daily Lobo contributing columnist for 3 years. She is co-author of the book 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s, released in March, 2008.

Drop your questions in her box in the lobby of Student Health and Counseling, or email her directly at pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered, and all questioners will remain anonymous. This column has general health information only and cannot replace a visit to a health provider.