Reframing New Year’s Resolutions
The New Year offers a time to check in, reflect, and be intentional about changing or sustaining habits. But New Year’s reflections often are based on “shoulds” instead of “wants.” Whether you find yourself a firm resolution believer or a resolution hater, thinking about what you hope to accomplish next year can be empowering.
By: Elizabeth Foot
People make New Year's Resolutions with good intentions, but unfortunately, they often derail them within a few weeks of being put to the test. Because of this, some may completely ignore resolutions or intentional goals for the upcoming year, while others might make them in hopes of at least one sticking without losing track.
As someone looking to approach every New Year with intention, I recognize that not all resolutions or intentions are equal. What I have found most sustaining in my resolutions is basing them on feelings instead of quantifiable outcomes. Setting number-based lifestyle goals for the new year sets you up to fail. Instead, think about how many new recipes you've enjoyed trying, how many new foods you've added to your safe foods list, how many new activities your body has supported you in participating in, or how many times you've resisted being triggered into old habits to make the rest of the resolution feel manageable.
But how do you know what will trigger these internal motivators of happiness, comfort, safety, satisfaction, and more? That’s where some reflection comes in.
Below are some questions to consider when thinking about what it would look like to show up as your best self this year. The more specific you can be, the better.
Questions To Ask Yourself
What in the past year brought me joy?
When have I felt like the most authentic version of myself?
When do I feel the most safe?
Is there anything that used to bring me comfort that I would like to incorporate in 2024?
What served me differently than I expected it to in 2023?
What (if any) activities have I said I wanted to try but haven’t?
Setting SMART Goals
Once you have answers, consider how to carry these intentions and goals into 2024. When incorporating these reflections, setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based (SMART) goals can make your intentions feel grounded and applicable instead of overwhelming and abstract. Let’s see an example.
If you identify that creating art brings you joy, one goal might be exploring a new museum exhibit or working on a DIY project. If you enjoy reading, setting a goal to read a certain number of books each month might be a great way to honor this decompressing hobby. To fully round this out, adding 30 minutes to your calendar once a week to check in on upcoming events, DIY project supply needs, books to read, or whatever goal you set would help ensure you can fully engage with the activity as much as you want.
Suppose you like making new recipes and have felt disconnected from friends. An example of a SMART goal for this might be hosting friends to try a new dish. It could be potluck-style or fully hosted by you. Adding joy across domains can help with self-accountability and motivation. Maybe you like making new recipes and feel out of touch with friends but don’t want to host – texting a different friend once every few weeks for recipe ideas (and then reviewing the same recipe) might be a more laid-back approach.
However, if you’re just trying to make it through the day without feeling out of control, a SMART goal here might be to track when you feel a particular emotion or do not engage in a disordered behavior when triggered. Celebrating your success is essential.
The main goal is to tap into what makes you you and honor the parts of you that might have fallen to the wayside during the year. Often, the resolutions we honor the most don’t feel like resolutions because they honor parts of you that make you feel more you.
Many resolutions often come with unrealistic expectations, strict rules, and specific numbers such as a goal weight or pounds lost. When “healthy” or “clean” eating becomes a harmful obsession, it’s called orthorexia. In a world where this behavior is praised, it can be hard to know if what you’re struggling with is normal or if it could be an eating disorder such as orthorexia.
Join us Tuesday, January 23rd at 12 PM EST for our Instagram Live Conversation series. Our Founder and CEO, Melainie Rogers, will share insights on overcoming restriction, identifying orthorexic tendencies, and setting recovery-centered goals in 2024.
No registration is required; simply follow us on Instagram and join us live!
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This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Elizabeth Foot (she/her).
Elizabeth is currently pursuing her Master's of Public Health in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Michigan, on track to become a registered dietician. Prior to returning to school, Elizabeth received her B.A. in Public Policy from Hamilton College in 2020.
Since graduating Hamilton, Elizabeth has worked for an infertility insurance company as a marketing associate, has volunteered with Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association (MEDA), and has advocated on Capitol Hill for expanding insurance coverage to registered dietitians as part of the Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC). Elizabeth is also a strong supporter of intuitive eating, HAES, and is excited to become a licensed practitioner working in the ED field. In her free time, Elizabeth can be found creating recipes, practicing yoga, or counting down the days until she can get a dog.