According to most media publications, losing weight, exercising more, and improving one’s diet are the top three most common New Year resolutions made each year.  Sadly, by Valentine’s day in February, most of these same people have forgotten they even made new year resolutions.  So, are you doomed to fail this year, or will you beat the odds and achieve your health goals?

The most pivotal step in achieving your goal is to create a roadmap or an action plan.  An action plan will break up the process into small actionable steps. These steps must be attainable or it will more than likely not happen. If the idea of writing an action plan scares you, just consider it an investment that you will collect on in the near future.  This task done upfront will help you to stay on track and focused.

Your goals within your action plan must also be SMART. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. All your goals must be:

Specific – Ask yourself this, “What do I want to accomplish?”

Measurable – Ask yourself this, “How will I know if I’ve reached my goal?” You must be able to track your progress along the way.

Achievable – Ask yourself this, ” Is this goal realistic?” Evaluation of any constraints or restrictions such as finances.

Realistic – Ask yourself this, “Is this goal within my reach ?”

Timely – Ask yourself this, “How much time will I need to accomplish this goal?”

Give yourself some credit for taking the first step of setting a goal. Now go forth and set yourself up for success!

About the Author

Deborah Johnson is a plant-focused Nutritionist and Health Coach with a Master of Science degree in Nutrition. She founded My Temple Wellness Inc. in 2018, a holistic wellness company whose mission is to educate, alleviate, and eliminate the potential health risks among vulnerable populations through nutrition education and wellness principles. In addition to Deborah’s graduate science degree, she is certified in Nutritional Psychology, an emerging area of study that examines the relationship between dietary and nutrient intake patterns and our mood, behavior, and mental health. She is a board member of The Steering and Envisioning Committee (SEC) for New York City Nutrition Education Network (NYCNEN), an organization dedicated to improving the food and nutrition environment for a healthier NYC. Deborah currently works with multiple organizations as a Community Nutritionist to develop nutrition programs designed to promote health and prevent disease, targeting particular groups of people. She also works one-on-one with individuals as a Health Coach. Deborah’s commitment is to help people make lasting changes through adopting healthy habits for life. She is also the Host and Co-Producer of “SOUL GARDENS” a local Nutrition & Cooking TV show airing in both the Bronx on BronxNet TV and Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) in NYC.