Hope Harrell: Personal Trainer + Nutrition Coach

I don’t do resolutions. As a coach, I know this is shocking, but let me tell you why.

Resolutions imply that we need to “resolve” or change something about ourselves. It makes it sound like we aren’t good enough, like we need to alter large parts of ourselves that weren’t enough in the previous year. After years of talking negatively to myself, I have come to realize that implying that we are not good enough is dangerous territory.

Instead, I set goals and intentions.

Goals and intentions imply that we want to better ourselves or implement habits that we desire to have. This doesn’t imply that we aren’t good enough: it states that we are growing into a better version of who we already are. Goals are things that we want to accomplish that are slightly outside our comfort zone. Intentions can be a phrase or a word that we want to implement in our lives or center our lives or habits around.

So how do you set goals and actually stick to them? If goals are by nature outside of our comfort zone, that means that we have to get uncomfortable to reach them, even if just slightly. Once you come to this understanding, then we can move forward from there.

First and foremost, think about what habits you wish to improve. When pondering this, be sure to avoid qualities about yourself that you want to change. For example, don’t set a goal of “being less lazy” because in doing that, you are calling yourself a lazy person and identifying as such. That isn’t true! And, you cannot accomplish goals that don’t have a set end. “Being less lazy” is not anything you can actually reach. An example of a great goal would be “make my bed each morning” or “prep dinners 3-4x/week.”

The right type of goals are SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Specific: what are you doing? Measurable: how will you be able to measure success? Achievable: is this something you are capable of reaching? Realistic: are you able to work toward this goal within the realistic context of your daily life? Timely: how long will it take you to accomplish this goal/when will you accomplish this goal if it is a daily habit?

So let’s work this through with one of my goals: putting my phone away an hour before going to bed. What am I doing (specific)? I am putting my phone on do not disturb and plugging it in to charge. How will I measure success (measurable)? I will be successful if I do this 5-6x/week. Is this something I am capable of reaching? Yes, it will take discipline which is a quality I possess. Is there anything keeping me from reaching this goal (realistic)? No, I stop working between 5-6 each day and can easily put my phone away between 8-9pm each day. How long will I do this (timely)? I will put my phone away an hour before bed for the next three months to build a sustainable habit to hopefully last for the rest of the year.

This is an example of how to make a non specific, unrealistic goal a perfectly planned, achievable goal that will not only make you more disciplined, but it almost guarantees that you can reach the goals you set.

To stick with these goals, ask yourself this question daily:

how bad do you want to feel good?

How badly do you want to feel like the best version of yourself? How badly do you want to wake up and have the most energy, better focus, and an improved mood? If nothing changes, then nothing changes.

Make SMART goals. Don’t set yourself up for failure; give yourself the framework and support to succeed this new year! 2023 is going to be huge and wonderful and challenging and peaceful and exciting and so much more… I can FEEL it!

It can be really hard to hold yourself accountable (trust me, I KNOW. I’ve tried. so many times). A nutrition, fitness, and wellness coach like me can help to keep you accountable for the long run. Sign up for a free consultation on my website and let’s talk about how to actually reach your goals this year and become the healthiest version of yourself.

Here’s to the pursuit of a healthier you!