It is 30 days till New Year’s Day. One month. Are you thinking right now about your New Year’s Resolutions? If so, this might be the year to take action early.
New Year’s Resolutions don’t work…
Over half of us don’t keep our New Year’s Resolutions even till the end of January. Just about 9% keep their resolutions all year.
On the other hand, for those who have similar goals but don’t set resolutions, just 4% make those planned changes and keep with them all year. So New Year’s Resolutions might not work, but they might actually work better, in terms of making life changes, than not making New Year’s Resolutions at all.
…or not right away
For those who do make changes with the New Year, it can take several tries. This is where starting early can make a big difference. For example, if you are one of the majority of Americans who want to eat healthier, you may find that it takes you some time to research and settle on a healthy diet, some time to learn new recipes and ways of cooking and eating, some time to get used to the new eating habits you’ve chosen, and some time to problem solve for the obstacles you encounter.
Start those things now and by January 1 you will be ready to take the plunge.
By the way, the Mediterranean diet might be a good choice to try!
You have a month to improve…or get worse
With 30 days on the calendar between now and New Year’s Day, you actually have enough time to do some damage. You could gain five to seven pounds if you decide to throw caution to the winds and eat whatever looks most delicious at the moment.
Muscle cells keep their fitness for a couple of weeks without exercise, but take a full month off exercise and you will notice some weakness. Your heart, which is also a muscle, will be a little bit less efficient. All in all, you will find exercise a bit more difficult on January 1st if you don’t get in any cardio in December.
Heavy drinking or cigarette smoking for a month can have adverse health effects. Stopping or cutting back now can be beneficial.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing
You will probably attend a few parties between now and New Year’s, and there are some predictable feast days. There are a few days, like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when you cherish traditions that probably don’t center around healthy choices.
But most of the days between now and New Year’s will be good days to eat some vegetables, get out and move a bit, or spend some time in self care.
Making those decisions this month will give you a great start on your New Year’s Resolutions.