Revisiting Your 2014 Goals

revisiting your 2014 goals

The beginning of the year is often the time when we decide to make big changes. Motivated by the momentum (and sometimes indulgence) of the holidays, we set goals and plot out a path to success. Suddenly, its six months later and you aren't seeing the progress you anticipated. HumanaVitality® wants to give you the tools you need to achieve those New Year's resolutions year round. Here are a few tips to reignite that New Year's energy!

Get started!

There's no time like the present, and it doesn't matter what shape you're in now. Take steps to improve your health and wellness today, and you'll be developing muscle memory to build stronger habits to maintain throughout the year. Take (or retake) your Health Assessment and get an understanding of where you are currently to help you make realistic and achievable goals. If you took your Health Assessment a long time ago, this is the perfect time to take it again and reassess your current health.

Then, start incorporating healthier choices into your daily routine, little by little: get a coworker to walk with you at lunch or add an extra serving of vegetables to your dinner each day. If you repeat a behavior, it's more likely to become a habit.

Choose wisely!

Small healthier choices can make a big impact on your overall health and well-being. Even committing to eating a balanced breakfast every morning or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can add up to long-term health benefits. Remember, a change in lifestyle is not a quick fix, so give yourself time and patience to achieve your goals. Do you already have a goal of steps you take each day using your fitness device? Try to increase your number of daily steps by 5-10% each week to safely and steadily push yourself to achieve your goals.

You're not alone.

Keeping healthier New Year's resolutions is a challenging task; don't be so hard on yourself if you're not where you thought you'd be 100% of the time. Take advantage of the tools and resources available to you from HumanaVitality. You're more likely to succeed if you have support along the way– plus earning rewards can feel great!


For goal-setting, remember the SMART criteria:

  • Specific: Set goals that detail exactly what you plan to do. For example: "I will eat five servings of vegetables every day" (instead of "I will eat healthier.")
  • Measurable: Quantify the results you are looking for, which makes achieving them and monitoring progress easier. Key questions to ask here are "how much?" "How many?" and "how will I know when this is accomplished?" For example: I will sign up, train for and walk in three 5K challenges this year (instead of "I will start running")
  • Attainable: Make sure that the goal is truly attainable for you. Ask yourself if your goal is attainable by looking at your schedule, support system and other resources. Do you have the time to achieve this goal? Can you devote enough attention to it to achieve it?
  • Realistic: At the beginning of the year, you may have had the momentum to overachieve, and could possibly have established a few big goals for yourself. To be successful, you need to be realistic. Revisit your goals and adjust them if they are unattainable. If your goal is to lose weight, take your Health Assessment to determine a healthy BMI and make an achievable plan with your doctor.
  • Timely: Setting a timeline and a specific schedule for achieving your goal will help you stay on track. Ask yourself, "When do I plan to achieve this?" and develop a timetable that you can use throughout your journey. For example: "I will walk 5 times a week for 30 minutes each time" (instead of, "I will walk a few times a week until I get healthier"). Make sure to register your approved fitness device to ensure you're tracking your progress as well as racking up the Vitality Points™!

Are you still on track with your New Year's goals? What HumanaVitality tools are you using to be successful?