New Year’s Resolutions – Or, Goal Setting for 2023
Happy 2023! Good riddance to 2022!
2022, 2023, 2024…
It’s New Year’s Resolution time! Every year millions of people make all kinds of resolutions to improve their lives. The American Heritage dictionary defines resolution as a firm decision to do something. Common resolutions are to lose weight, give up smoking, take on a new hobby, exercise more often, and get start a new job. Depending on what study you look at, only 2% of people actually follow through with their resolutions. Common reasons for not keeping resolutions include not being realistic, not planning ahead, giving up too easily, poor time management, not having a support network, and doing it alone.
A couple of weeks ago at work I did a workshop for my clients on setting New Year’s resolutions. Actually, it was the same workshop on goal setting that I do every couple of months, but since January 1st was right around the corner it seemed like the perfect time to “rebrand” it.
Let’s get ready to rumble!!!
Tips for Achieving Goals:
1. Be patient! One of the biggest challenges for folks is being realistic about how long things actually take. Many want instant gratification and become discouraged whenever they’re able to reach their goal right away. Rome wasn’t built in a day! Be patient!
2. Be realistic. Some people set goals that are just too lofty and impossible to achieve. Be realistic about what you can actually accomplish.
3. Break larger goals down into smaller parts. A crucial element to achieving a major goal is to break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces or steps. For example, the large goal of buying a home can be broken down into these smaller steps: determining how much house you can afford, finding an agent, getting pre-approved for a mortgage, etc.
4. Set SMART goals. SMART goal setting is attributed to George Doran, author of the 1981 article “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management Goals and Objectives”. The original acronym has changed over time, but currently SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. To make your goal a SMART one, answer these questions:
Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish? Who’s involved? What’s involved? Give as much info as possible.
Measurable: How will you measure progress towards your goal? How will you know you’ve reached your goal?
Achievable: Is this something you can actually accomplish? Do you have the skills and resources to reach this goal? If not, how will you obtain them?
Relevant: How does this goal fit in with your overall objectives? Why is this goal important to you. *I have seen the R in SMART listed as “Realistic”, but realistic is already covered in achievable.
Time-Bound: When will you achieve this goal? When is the due date?
It’s not enough to say you want to lose weight, however, saying that you want to lose 25 lbs. by June 30 by watching your diet and exercising because you want to look and feel better is a SMART goal.
Where did all this weight come from?!
5. Build a support network. Let family and friends know what your goals are. They might be able to assist you along the way. At the very least they could cheer you on and provide you with encouragement as you work towards your goal.
6. Write down your goals. And put them up somewhere where you can see them, like your mirror, desk, planner, etc. According to Professor David Kohl of Virginia Tech, people who write down their goals earn nine times as much over their lifetimes as people who don’t write down their goals. Other benefits include keeping you on track, helps to track your progress, and it makes you more likely to achieve your goals.
These are just a few suggestions to help you get closer to your goals. I’ll be sure to come back and update this as I come up with more ideas on this topic.