HOME & AG: Make New Year's Eve resolutions S.M.A.R.T.

Dec. 29—This year, the Cleveland County Oklahoma State University Extension is prompting locals to make S.M.A.R.T. resolutions.

Every year, many start out the year by making a list of goals, and by the end of the first couple of months, they find that they have abandoned their pursuit of achieving them.

Christi Evans, family and consumer sciences educator at Cleveland County OSU Extension, said keeping resolutions starts with how they are made.

"Although we usually have great intentions on reaching our goals at the beginning of the year, many of us struggle to maintain that same enthusiasm and motivation as time goes on," she said.

She is encouraging people to make S.M.A.R.T. goals, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based.

Many fail to achieve their goals because they are not specific enough.

"A typical New Year's resolution might be something like, 'I'm going to eat healthier,' but this isn't a very specific or measurable goal," Evans said.

For a greater chance at success, resolution-makers should cater the resolution to their specific needs. Many folks resolve to eat healthier each year, but to achieve that, they need to look at their own body type and figure out how they can eat healthier.

"What specifically are we going to do to eat healthier?" Evans asked. "We might, for example, decide we want to eat more vegetables, drink fewer sodas, or eat less fast food."

Once deciding on a goal, resolution-makers should then decide how to measure that goal. If they resolve to eat more vegetables, they need to decide how frequently they are going to eat them.

"Are we going to eat more vegetables per meal or per day? By making our goals measurable, this provides a way for us to be more accountable," she said.

Goals need to also be achievable. There are many who dislike vegetables, and for them, resolving to eat vegetables every day isn't realistic. For these people, planning to each three or four servings of vegetables per week is more realistic, Evans said.

"Sometimes these small steps can help lead us to long-term success," she said.

It is also important to make sure that goals are time-based, which allows goal makers to track their progress.

"Some people are successful by keeping a log to record their daily progress or others might choose to keep a calendar to check off their accomplishments throughout the month," Evans said.

"Either of these options can be great tools to gauge how well we are doing or what adjustments we need to make to be more successful."

She said that it is also important for those who work hard to achieve their goals to reward themselves and celebrate their successes.

"Rewards can be anything meaningful to you like new clothes or jewelry, a massage, concert tickets, or a weekend getaway," she said.