New Year’s Resolutions for 2009…Turn Your Good Intentions Into Real Change

Now is the perfect time to begin thinking about the changes you would like to make in your life in 2009. Chances are good that some of the changes near the top of your wish-list are related to your diabetes. Some of the most common resolutions include weight loss, more exercise, more frequent glucose testing and better food choices. For some people, this may sound like the same lineup you had in mind at the beginning of 2008. But, sometime between then and now your good intentions fizzled out. Make your first resolution for 2009 to not let that happen again. You can stick to your plan if you keep a few simple principles in mind:

1. Write out your goals. The act of putting them on paper helps you to be clearer about what you actually intend to do. To keep from being overwhelmed, start with the two or three most important goals and work hard at accomplishing these before you tackle others.

2. Make your goals concrete and measurable. A failure to do this is the number one reason good intentions fall short of becoming real change. Instead of stating your goal in a vague and non-specific way (I want to begin exercising), be very specific so that you can assess whether you’ve accomplished the task (I will walk for 20 minutes four times a week first thing in the morning).

3. Be accountable to someone. Tell or give someone a copy of your goals and ask them to check in with you weekly on your progress. Better yet, find a person who has similar goals and keep each other mutually accountable with weekly check-ins. You can use the type 1 diabetes forum for this accountability by posting your goals and interacting with other forum members on theirs.

4. Give yourself grace. Most people give up on their new year resolutions because they feel they have failed. You’ve only failed when you quit trying. If you veer off the path of your goals, look at each day as an opportunity to start over.

5. Learn as much as you can about diabetes. The more you are engaged in continual learning about diabetes, the more motivated you will be to practice healthy self-care. A good way to start is to sign up for my weekly newsletter that will introduce you to new topics to help you stay on track.