For many, New Year’s resolutions are opportunities to make the desired lifestyle changes 80% of resolutions fail the second week of February.
Theresa Nutt and Valerie Tiberius of the University of Minnesota are available to comment on how to make lasting and meaningful New Year’s resolutions.
Theresa Nutt
“Year after year, people go to the gym in January. And the evidence shows that most of these people will not continue going to the gym in February. What raises the question of how do we make lifestyle changes last?
“Here are seven strategies that will last your New Year’s resolutions:
- Find out why and the bigger vision of your wellness resolution to stay motivated when change feels difficult
- Create an intention in the face of unique goals, so that you have built a movement room while finding out which actions work best for you
- Perform small, consistent actions until you establish a new habit
- Create a support system for people who will encourage and hold you accountable
- Redesign your environment to facilitate the desired actions
- Wait and plan for setbacks, have fun when they happen, and then get back to your desired action
- Celebrate small victories and get rewards to create momentum “
Theresa Nutt is co-director of the University of Minnesota Comprehensive Health and Wellness Coaching Program at the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing. Her areas of expertise include health training, holistic and inclusive health, creativity, passion, purpose and self-care.
Contact information:
Theresa Nutt
[email protected]
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Valerie Tiberius
“I make resolutions in January and break them in February like everyone else! But I have thoughts on what makes our commitments meaningful and which ones are more desirable than others. We do best when we pursue goals wholeheartedly: well integrated with each other and with our beliefs and feelings.
“The best goals to prioritize are those that connect with our most sincere values. So if you want to do something that is good for your health, think about the relationship between healthier habits and your other values. For example, if you have friends you love but don’t see enough and want to start an exercise routine, find a friend who will do it with you, so exercising becomes an opportunity to maintain friendships and promote your “If you enjoy cooking and want to eat healthier foods, take on vegetarian cooking as a culinary challenge. It may not be easy to maintain more heartfelt resolutions, but you will have more confidence in their importance.”
Valerie Tiberius is the Paul W. Frenzel Chair of Liberal Arts and professor and professor of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Alicante College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. His areas of expertise include wellness, moral psychology and ethics.
Contact information:
Valerie Tiberius
[email protected]
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