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When the New Year rolls around, many people often set ambitious goals to transform themselves over the next twelve months. Unfortunately, many New Year's resolutions fizzle out before the end of January simply because people fail to break them down into actionable habits.
As we continue welcoming 2025, now is the perfect time to set or refine new health goals and establish habits that are both meaningful and achievable. It’s never too late to start making your health a priority. Read on to learn effective strategies for setting realistic health goals for 2025.
Break down your goals into small, daily habits.
Habits and goals work together like two spokes of a motorcycle to propel you in the same direction. But understanding the difference between the two and establishing both are key to successfully reaching your target.
A goal is what you envision for yourself, whether that’s overall good health or to master a sport. In order to be attainable, a goal should be specific and measurable. In other words, you need to establish how exactly you would achieve that goal. Setting a goal to “get fit" is too broad and hard to measure. Instead, you might set a goal of exercising three times a week or achieving a healthy body-mass-index (BMI).
Goals are achieved through habits. A habit is the day-to-day routine or practice that becomes engrained in your lifestyle. If your goal is to exercise three times a week, you might wish to block off a particular time of the day that you know is most realistic for you to exercise. Or, perhaps your habit would be to walk 30 minutes during lunch. You may also go another step by laying out your exercise clothes ahead of time to help you stay committed to following through on the habit. The more we repeat a routine, the easier it becomes and the more likely it is to stick. Of course, there are times you will need to be flexible. Maintaining discipline will help you continue to stay on track even if you’re derailed every once in a while.
Consider all facets of good health.
Good physical and mental health is often interconnected, and improving your health may involve goals related to what you eat, how much you move, and how you manage stress.
Dietary recommendations for someone looking to improve their health.
80 percent of our health is linked to diet. What we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat plays a significant role in our overall health. That’s why it’s so important to take a balanced approach to eating. Understanding appropriate portions is often the first step to eating a healthier plate. In general, most people should consume a variety of carbs, fats, and lean proteins at each meal. A good baseline recommendation is to fill your plate with:
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35 to 40% carbohydrates
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20 to 30% healthy fats
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35 to 40% proteins
Half of your plate should be filled with greens or veggies. The rest can be grains, nuts and seeds, lean proteins, and a little fat, such as cheese, on the side.
Tips to incorporate more physical activity into your day.
It’s important to stay busy doing something. It’s equally important to have good time management. We all have five or ten minutes of time throughout our days, and these incremental pockets of time can add up. In other words, you always have time in your day to exercise. You just have to find it, even if it’s not all at once. Physical activity doesn’t have to mean going to the gym to lift weights for an hour. You can walk, shovel snow, or clean your house. It’s all getting you moving and closer to your goals.
Prioritize your mental health.
When you’re working towards improving your health, don’t let your mental health fall by the wayside. A healthy mind creates discipline and routine, acting as the driver of the train that makes sure the rest of the cars fall in line. Whether that looks like attending a religious service, practicing mindfulness, or talking to someone in therapy, there are many ways you can manage stress and your mental health. Your primary care provider is also here for you and can discuss the pros and cons of medication, if that’s something that could help you.
Enlist the support of your community.
Sharing your health goals and habits for 2025 with a family member, friend, or neighbor can help you to succeed in achieving them. When we seek help from others, they can hold us accountable, encourage us when we lose motivation, and even come alongside us to build momentum. And, bringing others into our goal can make working towards a goal fun. Shared experiences can motivate us and teach us things along the way.
Partner with a primary care provider.
Your primary care provider can be an excellent resource and mentor steering you to good health. Having a medical expert in your corner can ensure that you’re setting realistic goals for your health and understanding how to attain them. They can also help you learn what good health actually means, specific to your unique situation and risk factors. Just because someone is thin doesn’t necessarily mean they’re healthy. And, just because someone has an above-average BMI doesn’t automatically mean they’re in poor health. Your primary care provider can help you set goals based on where you’re starting from that will allow you to improve your health in a gradual and sustainable way.
Life is a pretty long journey, but your primary care provider can act as the quarterback of your trek from zero to 100. A balanced approach to life will help you make the most of your health goals. Eat well, move your body, make time for yourself, stay connected to others, and keep doing what you can to the best of your ability. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Let’s take a step today to keep ourselves healthy, safe, and mentally whole in 2025.