It is common practice for people to set multiple goals for themselves as a New Year arrives. Anyone who regularly works out can attest to the “New Years Resolutioners” that flood the gyms in January and February, and then slowly taper off as Spring arrives. This begs the question, how realistic are New Years Resolutions, and what can we do to make the goals we set for ourselves attainable?
Everyone’s journey of change is different. However, there are several things in goal-setting research that have been found to be helpful.
First, set small, sequenced, and objective goals. Objective means that anyone can tell whether you’ve met the goal, not just you. For example, if you set the 2019 goal to “Be happier” what does that really mean? Objective goals allow you to overtly measure whether you have met your goal. If your overall goal is to lose fifty pounds, a more ideal goal to focus on may be to lose one pound a week. This allows continued opportunities to maintain your motivation (e.g., “Yay, I lost four pounds this month!” vs. “Ugh, I’m still 46 pounds away from my goal”) and to celebrate your success.
Second, word your goals as positive statements, vs. negative statements. “Eat three servings of vegetables a day” is much more positive and motivational (and realistic) than “Never eat chocolate again.” Goals that emphasize restriction are less motivational, and therefore less likely to be met.
Third, practice kindness towards yourself, and forgive transgressions. Perhaps your goal was to spend less than an hour watching TV per day. Then one lazy Sunday you binge watched HGTV. So what? Life happens. Just get back on track the next day.
Fourth, reward yourself. You managed to only log into Facebook once a day for the last month?! Good for you! Go get a pedicure, buy those Sporting KC tickets, or do something else to celebrate your success.
Fifth, don’t hesitate to modify your goals later on. Just because you wanted something in January 2019 doesn’t mean that has to be the same thing you continue to want and work towards throughout the year.
Finally, practice gratitude and appreciation for YOU. Navigating life often means finding the delicate balance between acceptance and change. As Sophia Bush so eloquently phrased it, “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and work in progress, simultaneously.”
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