New Year. New Beginning. New you? The concept of creating a New Year’s Resolution is a timeless tradition. However, a common theme that has developed alongside setting a New Year’s resolution is the theme of New Year’s resolutions not panning out the way we anticipated when we made the original commitment.

We make our New Year’s resolutions with the best of intents – resolving to eliminate a bad habit, eat healthier, exercise more, or commit to setting aside more time for something we enjoy doing. As Veterans, our health has always been part of our routine. So why do New Year’s resolutions fail? Simply put, New Year’s resolutions are often set in the spirit of a new year and a new beginning but are absent of a tangible plan to create a realistic roadmap towards success. We can then be left feeling:

• Frustrated
• Disheartened
• Finding ourselves moving in the wrong direction of where we were trying go

The good news is that Veterans are equipped to dealing with setbacks and retooling to accomplish the mission. Here are some tips on how you can stay on track.

Instead of setting a New Year’s resolution without a plan, create a realistic strategy for accomplishing your goal. As a comprehensive primary care provider for Medicare-eligible and 60 and above veterans, their spouses, and military community supporters, Flagship Health is invested in your comprehensive health and wants to see you achieve your goals. We recommend building your pathway forward using the following tips:

1. Be realistic. Create a goal or plan that is realistic. Instead of saying, “I want to become more active and am going to begin running six times per week”, ease into your plan by also acknowledging the amount of time your current commitments take and what works with your schedule. Then, make a smaller goal and build up to your larger goal over an established amount of time.
2. Measure your progress. It is important to understand the progress you have made. Make sure you are measuring your progress. If you decide you want to lose 10 pounds over the next 6 months, record your weight each morning so you know where you are as you move forward with your plan.
3. Embrace setbacks as normal. Say you plan to exercise on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Then you miss a day. No big deal! Stick with your plan and continue to move forward. Setbacks happen. Embrace that idea prior to starting your plan, and you will normalize when setbacks occur and not have your progress derailed.

Your support system is an invaluable resource in achieving any goal you set. Flagship Health is part of that support system and is here to help with your health and wellness goals. Connect with us today to talk about the services we offer, how we support Medicare-eligible and 60 and above veterans, their spouses, and supporters of the military community, and how you can become a member today.