I have fallen in love…with my Fitbit. (For those unfamiliar, Fitbit is a souped up pedometer providing real time feedback.)

Prior to donning this nifty device, I considered myself very active.  But with the Fibit monitoring my every move, I have learned this is not the case – an assessment based on the “10,000 steps a day” health metric. On days that I work from home I am at a mere 500 steps by mid-afternoon, which plops me squarely in the sedentary category. Exercise – even a walk around the block – quickly changes that, but until the Fitbit arrived I had no clue how bad things were.

Motivated to get to 10,000 steps, I monitor my progress throughout the day and make choices accordingly.  I park the car a little further away at the grocery store.  I offer to retrieve objects needed from different rooms of the house.  And, I am consistently making time for exercise. Admittedly, I am amazed that this little piece of plastic around my wrist has so dramatically altered my behavior.

As someone who helps her clients create meaningful, lasting change, I had to ask myself, why has the Fitbit worked so well at changing my behavior?

The answer: it increases my awareness.

Confronted with information, I am challenged to make a choice: move more or don’t. Get to my goal or don’t. The feedback calls me to attention and asks, do you want a different outcome?  If yes, I have to find the motivation to change what I am doing so I can get the results I want.

New Year’s resolutions are commitments to change.  If you are looking to create a meaningful change this coming year, consider finding a way to consistently increase your awareness about what needs changing.  Whether you choose something high-tech like a Fitbit or high-touch like a coach, ongoing feedback will give you the information necessary to make decisions that will impact the outcome you seek.

The only resolution you need is increased awareness. The rest will follow.