Everyone rings in the holiday season with the belief that “it’s just one time a year” and “there’s always next year”. You cherish those last 31 days of December for your freedom to really enjoy the holiday season. What is important to remember is that resolutions and the New Year are not interchangeable; goals and resolutions can be created, altered, and achieved at any point throughout the year.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll create a New Year’s resolution in hopes of going the full 365 days strong and by the end you will be a WHOLE new person. After failing, you might resent yourself or pretend as if you were just trying something new and that you never really cared that much about the goal in the first place. Whether or not your new leaf is starting a new study habit, trying out the typical weight loss goal, saving more money, or simply trying out something new, there is no written rule that this change has to occur on January 1st each year. Goals are great for a boost of happiness if you achieve them, but can easily be discouraging when you don’t. If you fall into the 45% of people in the U.S. that do create a New Year’s resolution, below are a few tips to encourage success.
- Make the goal something that you really want.
- Don’t set YOUR goal because someone else thinks you should be or do something. If you really hate sports, don’t make your resolution to join a soccer league. If you are comfortable in your economic state, don’t cut off your cable TV. The point of creating a goal is to enhance your life in someway, not to create a goal because everyone else is doing it. If you can’t think of something to change, then it’s simple- don’t.
- Two questions to ask yourself: Does the goal excite me? Does the goal feel potentially life changing?
- Make the goal manageable.
- Goals are not white or black. Gray areas of goals allow for success; for example, don’t try to cut out all carbs if your weak spot is Olive Garden breadsticks. The gray area, for example, would be limiting yourself to one breadstick. Rather than quitting cold turkey, or having unrealistic expectations, start small and don’t bite off more than you can chew. By winning the small battles, you will encourage yourself to keep working towards your objective day after day.
- Two questions to ask yourself: How precise is my goal? (short timelines and low numbers often help with this one) What are my actions to help achieve this goal?
- Make your goal a talking point with others.
- By talking about it you are not only reminding yourself, but also allowing others to help hold you accountable. If you are truly passionate about trying to accomplish something for yourself, you will want to talk about it with others. Ask for advice, seek out encouragement, and avoid the naysayers.
- Two questions to ask yourself: Do I want to talk to others about my goal? Who can I tell to hold me accountable?
- Make the goal with forgiveness in mind.
- One of my favorite quotes (especially when I’m having a bad day) is “One healthy meal won’t make you skinny, just like one bad meal won’t make you fat.” If you fall off the bandwagon at any point throughout the year, keep the train moving, even if it’s not full speed ahead. Use the 24-hour rule to help work towards success; every day is a clean slate and you have the opportunity to progress or digress.
- Two questions to ask yourself: What will keep me working towards my goal? How will I know if I need to adjust my goal?
- Make the goal when you are ready.
- Whether your resolution begins on January 1st or not, the most important thing is that you have seriously thought about the journey you are about to embark on. Have an action plan prior to starting your goal. Whether you are making a pros and cons list, creating an outline, or reward points, thinking about your success will help motivate you to achieve it. When you write your process down (or create a vision board), you are providing something tangible to keep your goal alive
- Two questions to ask yourself: Have I created a plan? When do I want to have my results?
Disclaimer: Of the original 45% of people in the US who set New Year’s Resolutions, only 8% succeed in completing their goals. As Benjamin May pointed out, “the tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goals. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach”.
Breanna Gibson joined Aureus Medical Group in June 2015 as a Recruiter for the Laboratory Division, and became a part of the Student Outreach Team in the Rehab Therapy Division soon after. In her free time, Breanna enjoys yoga, reading, and trying out new recipes for her fiancé, Tony. She loves to travel, especially back home to Texas to visit her family. Breanna loves taking her two doggies, Sunny and Jake, on walks and to the dog parks!