“Can do” resolutions for the new year

We all know what we should do. We know we should get 8 hours of sleep every night. We should regularly change the oil in our car.  We should pay more attention to world events. However, knowing and doing are very different things.

As we start a new year, it’s natural to ponder resolutions. Should you make them? Well, ideally. Will you keep them? Maybe not.

If you’re setting goals or coming up with resolutions, consider the insights of some of our favorite diabetes online community members.  Rather than thinking about what you should do, reframe and think about what you can do. Or what you want to do. Let your resolutions come from the inside out, rather than being put on you by someone else.

 What can you do? For example, you might consider…

• I can try a new recipe every weekend

• I can go for a walk after dinner three times a week

• I can focus more on what I do right

• I can check my blood sugar a few hours after dinner

• I can try to sit up straight at my desk (reading that is a good reminder!)

• I can check my feet before putting on my shoes

The word “can” is empowering. Of course, like any change in your lifestyle or a traditional resolution, it’s easy to slip up. The key is to avoid letting yourself slide into a shame spiral. Who among us hasn’t eaten something really decadent and then felt so bad about it that we went back and ate more? The shame spiral has a powerful downward pull, but you can push back. Whether you skipped a workout, ate more than you wanted to or taken a wild guess on your bolus and missed, don’t give up. Recognise it. Forgive yourself. You can wake up and start fresh tomorrow.