The New Year tends to be exciting as it allows for self-reflection on the past year, creating resolutions for the New Year, and in some form, trying to better ourselves. I always start off with great intentions, but by mid-February, I have given up on most of my list and fallen back into my old habits. in spite of having promised myself I wouldn’t bring “that” into the New Year! So, how can we begin to create goals that we can stick with? Goals we won’t forget about and then be upset with ourselves for not attaining? I have learned following some simple steps is very helpful with creating and achieving goals.
Step 1:
Be very specific about your goal. I want to become healthier. I want to communicate better. I want to be a better friend/parent/spouse. Those all are great goals, but far too broad to measure whether or not you are achieving them. Maybe, the goal could be: I want to lose 5 lbs. this month. I want to initiate one conversation with someone that I have been avoiding. This month I will call and check on my friends at least one time per week.
Step 2:
Focus on the goal and the sacrifices it will take to achieve the goal. Often times, we quit prematurely because we did not plan out the sacrifices as well. Remember, achieving a goal is not necessarily meant to be an easy task, however, the desired result should be the drive causing you to continue push through, even when giving up seems easier.
Step 3:
Give yourself a reasonably time period to complete the goal as well as measurable tools to check in and make sure you are adhering to the set timeline. Attempting to achieve a goal in an unrealistic time frame can cause us to become frustrated because we didn’t complete it on time or not push us enough because we gave ourselves too much time.
The beauty in all of this is that you can always go back, re-assess, and start again. Many times, the path is not how we initially planned it. Life will happen along the way. I heard a quote a while ago that has really stuck with me. “Sometimes, it’s the process that teaches you more than the actual end result.” So, keep pushing, adjusting, and persevering.
