Making New Year’s Resolutions That You Can Keep
January is the time to start fresh and get back on track after a busy holiday season. Your Gold Medal Home Health team has had a few conversations on the topic of New Year’s resolutions and the consensus is that making and keeping them are not easy tasks. We’re not alone in our thinking; according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology about 50% of us have high hopes to quit smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, eat less, exercise more and/or save money. Although choosing habits to change is a good idea, the challenge is sticking with it.
Being realistic about the things we want to change is key for a successful outcome. Statistics indicate that many people find their resolutions too ambitious and forget about them after a month or two. For individuals with disabilities this annual practice can be more challenging, disenchanting, and frustrating.
Last year Forbes ran a feature by Andrew Pulrang, a writer with disabilities and an executive in nonprofit disability services & advocacy, who offered three tips for individuals with disabilities who want to develop New Year’s resolutions that mean something to them. According to Pulrang, everyone has opinions and advice to give; “It’s possible to resist other people’s simplistic self-improvement advice, and instead decide for ourselves to do some things differently in the coming year. And for disabled people in particular, it doesn’t matter as much exactly what we resolve to change, but rather how we come to our New Year’s resolutions.”
The three guidelines for how individuals with disabilities can develop New Year’s resolutions that actually mean something to them are:
1. Challenge yourself – Pick one of your everyday habits to change that makes sense to you rather than one that makes sense to others. Some examples may be to walk more, reconnect with old friends, develop kinder, more patient responses, or express your true feelings. Try to be at ease and speak about your disability.
2. Be kind to yourself – Pick goals that are achievable for you; those you are fairly sure that are within your reach. It’s okay to pick small, interim goals. Be honest with yourself and don’t overreach; setting boundaries is fine. Pulrang stressed, “…work on truly believing that your value as a human being is not defined or limited by your disability and only pursue things that you value. Don’t measure your self-worth against non-disabled people.”
3. Connect with other disabled people – With 61+ million people with disabilities in the U.S. the opportunity for expanding your circle is limitless. Today it’s not so difficult to make new acquaintances either “in person” in a disability group setting or through social media. If you haven’t discovered online platforms, take that step and explore Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. Pulrang cautions,”… when meeting other disabled people, be prepared to give advice if asked, but listen first without judgment or agenda. This is a much more challenging resolution than you may think. Finally look to help, not just benefit.”
Keep in mind that it’s okay if making New Year’s resolutions isn’t your thing! But if you want to pick one or two, choose the ones that you really care about, be creative and challenge yourself.
You can follow Andrew Pulrang at Forbes.com, @AndrewPulrang or LinkedIn.