By Duke Medicine News and Communications

The key to successful new year's resolutions, according to a Duke University Medical Center health psychologist, is setting goals that are realistic and attainable.

Many Americans plan to start the new year with the best intentions, with weight loss and getting more exercise are two of the most common -- and usually the most often unsuccessful – of these New Year's resolutions, according to Duke health psychologist Ruth Quillian Wolever, Ph.D.

"I think it's really important that people pick something that's important to them and will be useful to them, but also that they are ready to explore," said Wolever, clinic director at Duke's Center for Integrative Medicine. "So, to set a goal that's not something you truly want to do, you're setting yourself up for failure."

Wolever believes it's also important to realize how health goals are interconnected.

"If you try to do something in isolation that doesn't really fit with your life, it's going to be more difficult to sustain that behavior," she explained. "For example, say you're interested in developing an exercise program, which is an excellent goal and great for your health. It's useful to think about not just exercise but other domains in your life that might impact it. If you are around people who also value exercise, you're going to be more likely to do it yourself. So give some thought to how you're going to support that exercise goal through your social relationships.

"Also, if you're also working on eating a healthier diet, you may be thinking more about what your body truly needs and that in turn will help support your exercise goal," she said.

Wolever says if the focus is primarily on outcomes, frustration is more likely. Instead, she recommends focusing on what you're doing right now to reach your ultimate goals, and rewarding yourself for your successes.

"When it comes to setting the specific goal, it's important that it be a manageable goal and that it be action-oriented, something you can be in control of," Wolever said. "For example, you may have a weight-loss goal, but it's important that what you're actually tracking is 100 percent in your control. If your goal is to lose two pounds this week and, at the end of the week, the scales haven't budged, but you've done everything that you should have done, you're setting yourself up to feel frustrated. So you need to make the part of the goal that you track be, 'Yes, I did what I committed to do.'"

It's always a good idea to talk with a physician before starting an exercise program or diet plan. Once started, Wolever said progress should be tracked on a regular basis.

"People need to monitor frequently, at least on a weekly basis, how well they are sticking to what they've committed themselves to do," Wolever said. "For the day-to-day successes, take the time to congratulate yourself. It's an incredibly powerful thing that very few people do.

"Focus on what you're doing right now. So let's say you want to lose 80 pounds. Rather that focusing on the outcome, focus on what you're going to do right now to get there. So when I eat this particular meal, when I go on this particular walk today, start to focus on the step that's right in front of you at this moment, and celebrate its total success. Even though you're not at the outcome yet, you're making the movement in the right direction. And doing something about it will motivate you to take another step.

"Ultimately what keeps people motivated is success toward their goals. Pick things that are going to pay off for you, that you're going to be successful at. When you have success, you'll transfer that to another, perhaps related area, one that you can also set a realistic goal for, then move forward and feel good about that success."