Derval O'Rourke: How I will structure my New Year goals plus my recipe for shakshuka

There are plenty of ways to make meaningful change in 2024.

From tweaking rather than removing, to letting someone support you, Derval shares her top tips to guarantee you stick to your resolutions

Research shows that about 80% of resolutions will fail within the next month and that new year’s resolutions related to health and fitness have even less chance of being a success. But don’t press the panic buttons just yet, there’s plenty of ways to make meaningful change in 2024.

This week I am sharing some tips on how I plan to structure my goals this year.

Specific short periods of time with ‘data’ — aka proof points

When it comes to adding a healthy habit or a resolution, break it down into smaller, more consumable chunks.

For example if your goal in 2024 is to start walking more, then start by aiming to walk more for the next seven days.

After seven days use your phone or watch to see how many steps you’ve taken in those seven days compared to the previous seven days, this is your ‘data’.

Jot down the number and repeat this the following week.

After you’ve completed week one your next goal is a four-week block.

On completion of a four-week block you are in a far better position to build on this and statistically you are more likely to build a habit from here.

Tweak rather than remove

Food is an area that people tend to go all or nothing with, by that I mean major diet overhauls rather than tweaking what they are doing and continuing to build on to that foundation as time goes on.

January is a big time where people choose to do ‘veganuary’, an annual global campaign that inspires people to be vegan for the month.

This is a fairly drastic change if you ordinarily are not vegan.

Consider adding in two new vegetables a week for a four-week block.

By the end of four weeks you would be eating eight vegetables that you don’t ordinarily eat and thus have added a super new variety to your diet.

Support equals success

Consider anything you have ever been successful at and think about who helped you on that path.

We are social beings and the research points to involving friends and family as a key factor in whether or not you can make positive changes.

Find someone who is interested and supportive of the change you are trying to make and let them support you.

It might be having a cup of coffee together to chat through your plans or a regular text message to tell them how you are doing.

Remember that making a meaningful change takes time, and we are all different in how we respond to change.

Experiment with different approaches and find what works for you.

Wellness tip: Look at your diary for the next 6 months and scribble in ‘wellness’ days or half days, where can you take time to slow down and mind yourself.

Fitness tip: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s all of nothing. Every bit of exercise you do contributes to your health and fitness.

Shakshuka

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Serve with crusty bread for a comforting brunch dish.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• ½ red pepper, finely diced

• ½ yellow pepper, finely diced

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• ½ red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tin of tomatoes

• 4 free range eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4.

2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until soft, this will take about five minutes. If the pan begins to get dry add a little water.

3. Add the garlic, chilli and tomato purée to the pan and cook for about two minutes. Add the spices to the pan and mix throughly.

4. Tip in the tin of tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. Pour the contents of the pan into an oven proof dish. Crack the 4 eggs into the dish and pop it into the oven for 25 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and place in the middle of the table on a heat proof mat. Serve with crusty bread.