2020 is here! So have you set any New Year’s resolutions?

And if so, are they SMART resolutions? Or are they likely to fall by the wayside in a few weeks (or worse, a few days)?

New Year’s resolutions don't have to be a bunch of unkept promises to yourself, nor another thing for you to feel guilty about.

Resolutions are hard to keep, and from the outset they often have a negative connotation - something to reluctantly 'stick to' rather than something to happily work towards.

Life is dynamic and fluid. At North Brighton Medical, we want you to develop and grow throughout each year, and have a richer and more fulfilling life, season after season.

So, rather than writing a list of static resolutions, set yourself 1-3 goals instead. Do it now, or at any time during the year, not just over the New Year period.

Think about what is important to you, and make sure they are SMART goals to maximise your chance of achieving them:

S - specific: Setting a goal like "I want to improve my fitness" is hard to keep because it’s too vague. If you want to get fit, think about how you plan to do it. You might decide to start running - you can then set your goal as something specific like "I want to be able to run 5km three times per week".
M - measurable: How will you know you’re on your way to meeting your goal, and that you’ve actually met it? This ties into the point above about your goal being specific, but also about how measuring that you’re on track to achieving the goal. For example, if you want to be able to run 5km, perhaps begin with a short-term goal to run for half a kilometre, and then have a series of goals building up from there until you reach your final goal.
A - achievable: There is no point in setting a goal so large it is unachievable. If you have never really run before, then setting a goal to run a marathon by the end of the year has a good chance of going unachieved. The goal needs to be something that you will be capable of, given your knowledge, resources and time. Think about whether you have, or can you make the time in your life in order to achieve your goal - when will you go running, and what will you have to rearrange in order to make time to do it regularly? Start with a goal that you think you will be able to achieve and maintain, and then extend yourself from there. You can set more challenging goals as you go.
R - rewarding and relevant: Will meeting this goal help make you happy? Is the goal something for you, or is it really for someone else? A goal that isn’t rewarding or relevant to you will probably fall by the wayside. If you want to get fit but hate running, find an activity and goal that you will enjoy.
T - time-based: Set a deadline for your goals. You can extend the deadline later if you need to, but imposing a realistic deadline will be much more motivating than an open-ended goal. If it’s a long-term goal, try breaking it down into smaller goals which you can achieve along the way.

Here at North Brighton Medical we are passionate about optimising your health and making your health goals manageable and achievable. We want you to engage in your health actively, and encourage our patients to come in for their preventative health checks. When was the last time you had your cholesterol checked? Your pap smear? What about your bone density? If you are over 50 years of age, have you received and posted back your sample for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program? Have you called BreastScreen to book your mammogram? These are just a few things that may apply to you.

We look forward to seeing you soon, to mentor you through your health journey, and assist you in achieving your health goals.