Congratulations! You have made it about halfway through the winter, and the days are finally starting to get longer again. It’s been about a month since New Year’s resolutions were set, and I thought this would be a good time to check in and see how things are going. If you have been successful at implementing even one of your goals, give yourself a huge pat on the back! If you are having some trouble sticking to your goals, don’t fret- you are not alone! You still have lots of time to revise your goals and try again. February is Heart Month, so it’s a great opportunity to set new healthy lifestyle goals. Let’s do some re-evaluating and figure out what is getting in your way.

Take a minute and ask yourself some questions to identify exactly what your barriers are. You can break down SMART again, to help guide your evaluation. Here are some questions you might ask: were your goals too ambitious? Were they not specific enough? Were you not able to find time in your schedule? For example, a common goal of “losing 15 pounds this year” is not specific enough. It is important to make a detailed plan of exactly how you will execute and accomplish your goal. (Read a refresher on setting SMART goals). Also, set milestones so the time frame is more specific than simply “this year.”
 

Here is how my goals are turning out. I am very happy to say that for the first time I have committed to going to the gym once a week for a class on Tuesdays. However, the other two classes that I was planning on attending were far too advanced for me. After a couple weeks of feeling quite discouraged and totally abandoning my plan, I decided to try another class that fits in my schedule, hoping it would be more my speed. It is still quite challenging but I am able to keep up at my own pace and will certainly give it another try.
 

Don’t let yourself get too far off track. Remind yourself of why you want to make these changes and how important it is to make time for your health. And give it time to sink in. At the beginning, I couldn’t imagine having the energy to go to the gym after a long day at work.

Then I worried about having enough time to cook dinner and relax. But you will adjust to your new schedule. After working out I actually feel more energetic when I come home. So stay strong and keep at it! And happy Heart month!