By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
Tinton Falls resident Chris Ciaglia just fulfilled his 2015 New Year’s resolution — to run 2,015 miles in a year.
What made him decide to do it?
“I’ve been running now for about five years so I decided why not give it a shot? I did it mainly for health and just to see if I could challenge myself enough to get it done,” Ciaglia said.
2015 marked the first year the avid runner made a resolution. A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll indicates one-third of New Jerseyans don’t have any resolution, 22 percent of all residents mention something related to health and fitness, 11 percent specifically focus on staying or getting healthy, 8 percent are looking to lose weight, while 3 percent want to achieve good health in general. An additional 3 percent want to quit smoking.
So why do we set goals for the New Year?
“Well I think it’s a way to set up motivation to build motivation. If we pick a random Thursday or Groundhog Day, it doesn’t quite have the thing as starting off the New Year so I think people tend to do it because it’s a nice way to start a beginning or mark a beginning,” said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah.
“I feel like when you set a goal at the beginning of the year then for yourself you just want to stick to it even when there were doubts during the course of the year, I just thought back to, you set this goal you can stick to it,” Ciaglia said.
What makes a person more likely to keep a resolution versus another?
“That’s a complicated question because I think there are people who chose to do things during the course of the year people who are marathon runners they can have the intense motivation to do some of those things. There there are many people who need a little more help,” Dr. Solhkhah said.
It’s not all about health and fitness. New Jerseyans have a number of different resolutions, including those that involve what’s in their wallets. The Rutgers-Eagleton Poll indicates 5 percent want to save, make more or spend less money. Meridian Behavioral Health Services Dr. Solhkhah says the key to success is picking a goal that’s small and manageable.
The idea of maybe having better finances is so broad and daunting that most of us would be spooked by it,” Dr. Solhkhah.
Which is why Dr. Solhkhah says putting a few dollars away every day or week is a much more attainable goal.
“Part of the reason why I think people aren’t successful with New Year’s resolutions is they pick things that are negative so it’s I am going to lose weight is not as positive as I’m gonna to live healthier or I am going to eat better,” Dr. Solhkhah said.
For those struggling to fulfill New Year’s resolutions the doctor recommends avoid Jan. 1 as a start date, because many people are stressed and overwhelmed from the busy holiday season. He says pick another time like a different holiday or anniversary.
Ciaglia suggests people share their resolution with friends and family.
“I was always telling my wife Samantha this is where I am, this is how many I did today,” he said.
He says accomplishing his goal of running 2,015 miles was surreal.
“It’s a lofty goal and then once you hit it you kinda feel like what’s next?” he said.
Which is why Ciaglia made a new, New Year’s resolution for 2016. He’s training for a marathon.