by Lucy Danziger
When you set out to achieve your fitness goals, the best way to do it is to focus on what you are doing and the goals you’re trying to achieve, research finds. That means focusing, not trying to distract yourself during a workout. Avoidance and disassociating won’t gain the same results as zeroing in on the muscles and focusing on your body at work.
By the same token, trying to avoid certain things, such as swearing off carbs, chocolate, sugar, booze, or binge-watching stupid TV shows (we spent a whole month of 2023 learning that Love Is Blind turns out to not be true!) you are more likely to fail than if you set “approach” goals. Here’s how this works:
An approach goal is adding something positive, such as an exercise routine, a commitment to eating healthier, or reading more, even just 10 pages a day. This is the finding of a major study on resolutions that found that people who set approach goals (and get some support along the way) do much better at sticking with them.
The study found that approach goals are achievable nearly 60 percent of the time, while avoidance goals are achievable about 47 percent of the time. That could mean the difference between making 2024 the year you finally run that long-held dream of marathon, applying for grad school, or finally learning to cook.
Trying to avoid something means you have to focus on it, and the more you focus on one thing, even if it’s a thing you want to avoid (like a glazed donut at Dunkin), the more you obsess about it and start to crave it.
So simply reframing your intentions — such as by telling yourself, “I am a non-smoker,” – can help you see yourself in a positive light and achieve that vision. Right now I’m telling myself: “I am a runner!” and it’s helping me get out the door more often and around the Central Park reservoir, moving slowly, but moving!
Bottom Line: Approach goals, such as starting a habit of walking or running 45 minutes in the morning (to achieve 3.5 hours of exercise a week) are easier to attain than swearing off carbs. Where did we first read this study? It was on Morning Brew, still one of our favorite daily newsletters. Thanks, Brew. We love you.
For more helpful advice on Wellbeing, Health and Fitness, check out The Advice Pages Wellbeing content. Have a question? DM us on Instagram @advicepages.
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