New Years Resolutions.
You’ve probably done it every year. January comes – a fresh new start – and you promise, this year will be different. “This will be the year that I finally [insert New Years resolutions here]”, you think to yourself. Then, December rolls around (much too quickly!), and nothing has changed.
You’re not alone.
According to Statistic Brain, 41% of Americans make New Years Resolutions. However, only 9.2% of those people feel they are successful at achieving their resolutions at the end of the year. In fact, 25% of people abandon their resolutions after just one week! So what goes wrong?
Many resolutions are simply hopes and dreams you have for the year. “This year, I’m going to start exercising”, “I’m going to budget and save money”, “I’m going to eat healthier”. Don’t get me wrong, having dreams in life is important. But what can you do to make those dreams a reality? First, instead of making your typical resolutions, set some goals. Here are 6 simple tips to achieving your New Years Goals.
- Define them. Make a well-defined goal that includes the who, what, where, when, why, and how. This makes your goal more specific, and less of a “resolution”. If the initial goal seems too big, break it down into smaller goals.
- Make it achievable. Does your goal fit into your current knowledge, time, resources, etc.? If not, perhaps it’s important to create a plan around obtaining the necessary resources to achieve your goal. (A goal within a goal!)
- Track your progress. How are you going to know that you are on the right track to meeting your goal? Making a goal that is measurable in some way can help you to stay motivated by allowing you to see changes along the way.
- The big “why?” Set a goal that is relevant to you. In order for you to put in the time and effort to achieve a goal, it must have some meaning in your life.
- Create a time-line. When deciding when you want a goal to be achieved by, ensure you are giving yourself enough time to complete it, yet not too much time that you are putting it off.
- Write them down! This one seems too simple, doesn’t it? But it is easily the most important. People who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them and complete significantly more than those who don’t, according to Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California. Writing down your goals allows you to really see what it is you want.
Now go ahead, write down those goals! Need some help reaching your newly set health goals? Head on over to my “Contact” page to book an appointment with me.
In the meantime, download my [FREE Goal Setting Worksheet] today to get started on setting those goals for 2018!