This time of year, you will find no shortage of advice discussing the importance of setting goals for the new year. These goals range from getting back into shape, taking up a new hobby, or even going back to school.
Not to be left behind, we write out our plans for the new year - some even go as far as to announce them on social media. And like clockwork, the new year arrives and those packed gyms, come January 1, quickly dwindle, around mid-February, back to normal occupancy. Those well-meaning fitness goals are now a distant memory - except for the bank notification that the gym has taken its fees for the month. We all know it and even joke with one another, that those well-meaning goals we set in December, of the prior year, never quite come to fruition.
So why is this so common? Why do so many of us never quite reach the goals we have set in the new year?
Where those articles often fall short is ensuring the reader understands, that while goal setting is a great starting point, it is necessary to coordinate the associated activities required to reach those goals. Plans made in bursts of ideation and dreams for the future must account for the inherent challenges that will be encountered along the way.
Determine what goals you want to achieve - like really achieve
Entire books have been written on the topic of picking quality goals - in summary, only set goals you want to achieve. A great starting point in determining what goals you’d like to reach is to set aside time to review the current year. What went well, that you’d like to further fine-tune in the new year and what will require a complete overhaul? List those high-level ideas and more importantly weigh them out. Seek to make changes that are truly meaningful and provide the most value add to your life. Keep time and resource constraints in mind, not everything can change all at once.
Develop a plan to remain consistent
There will be days when you just don’t feel like it - you’re exhausted and the last thing you want to do, after work, is going to that yoga class. There is where commitment comes in. Determine that regardless of how you feel in the moment you will continue to make positive advances toward reaching your goals. Think of goal setting as a journey instead of a sprint. So if that means that this week you only work toward meeting your goal twice but next week you are back at it four times - do that. Over time even those small advances add up to significant change. The point is to keep going.
Praise yourself for the progress you’ve made
It’s so easy to be all or nothing. How quickly do we remind ourselves of our shortcomings - never stopping to process that, though we haven’t reached the finish line, we’ve come a mighty long way. Don’t let one day of overindulgence cause you to scrap your entire goal for a healthier lifestyle. That off day, amongst the many others where you stuck to the plan, shows that you’re human.
Celebrating your wins along the journey gives you the motivation to continue. Build on that momentum of your progress and before you know it, you have made a complete lifestyle change.
Some of the best advice I’ve received is that, short of perfection, we all have a long list of things we could change about ourselves - but what targeted changes provide the most value, that you are willing to put the effort into changing? Create your shortlist from there. Plus who said it needed to wait until January 1 - start now!
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