With the new year always comes another round of resolutions and life goals. And with nearly 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions ending in failure, it’s best to be equipped with as much knowledge as possible to stay on track and reach worthy goals.
Setting attainable, reasonable and measurable goals is key to following through with a plan, said Sunny Shreeve, Thrive Allen County program coordinator.
Without means of measuring progress, people get easily discouraged. Shreeve suggested people start small, maybe setting their sights on losing one to two pounds a week or walking for 10 minutes a day and then gradually setting higher and higher goals.
The majority of goals set around the first of a new year are health related, whether it be losing weight, eating healthy, getting more active or quitting smoking. In those cases, Shreeve said having a partner with similar goals holds people accountable.
“If I say I’m going to get up and walk, I feel like I have to be there because I feel like I’m letting her down as much as myself,” Shreeve said, in reference to the benefit of having a workout buddy.
Being specific in goal setting is the first step to achieving a desired outcome, said Jake Lawrence, Iola Recreation Department fitness coordinator.
Getting in a routine is also vital to reaching a goal, Lawrence said. Typically, after about six weeks of a regular activity, it becomes second nature.
“Then when summer and spring finally come, people are more apt to get outside,” he said.
With that in mind, people should consider taking part in one of the exercise, aerobic and workout classes and programs the Recreation Department is offering, Lawrence said.
From Jan. 10 through Feb. 21, a boxing boot camp is being offered, as well as a beginners boot camp from Jan. 24 to March 1. Each program is twice a week for six weeks and costs $30 to participate.
“They’re going to focus on everything from cardio to strength training,” Lawrence said. “Both classes will be taught by a certified personal trainer.”
Contact City Hall or visit cityofiola.com to get registered.
“People can also come to our building and walk, especially during the winter when you can’t really be outside much,” he said. “It gives people options.”
NEW YEAR’S resolutions aren’t always about health, however.
Iolan Kara Godfrey, said she too has goals to improve her overall health, but she also has her sights set on improving other parts of her life.
Starting in 2012, Godfrey said she hopes to embrace every teachable moment with her two children.
“Just to make sure that I take advantage of every opportunity, whether it be a good or bad situation, to be able to teach them how to deal with other people and their emotions,” she said. “You can tell people a lot of things but when you show them or you live life with them, they get more from that.”
To keep herself on track, Godfrey said she’s going to make a conscious effort to reflect her own actions each day and help her children understand if that was the proper way to react.
“So often parent’s tell their kids, ‘don’t do this’ or ‘do do this’ but if you live it out before them and with them, you might get better results,” she said.
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