Making goals is great way to keep moving forward in life and with the New Year, it’s a great time to set some new goals. At times, we tend to just live day by day, in the moment and significant time may pass us by and we think back realizing we haven’t achieved as much as we would have liked. I try to avoid the term ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ because it gives me the feeling of ‘all or nothing’. The resolution may seem so extreme and making such significant changes all at once tends to set people up for failure. Have you noticed how many people ditch their resolutions by February?
Benefits of Goal setting:
1) Clarity and focus
2) Increased effort
3) Increased persistence
4) Less stress and anxiety
5) A happier outlook
6) Increased self-esteem
How do you set a Goal?
1) Figure out what you truly want
2) Break it down into small steps
3) Write down your plan or vision
4) Set deadlines
5) Seek support
6) Get a successful mentor
7) Regular review
8) Be flexible
9) Make contingency plans
10) Take action
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been reflecting on the year and I have come up with some ideas. They consist of reading more novels, trying new recipes, doing a new fitness activity, and spending more time with family and friends. I will then take these generalized goals and break them down into smaller attainable goals. For example, I realized that I didn’t spend much time reading this past year; it’s something I enjoy doing but don’t make a priority. So this year my goal will be to read 6 novels, which is about a novel every 2 months. Seems easy enough but yet I know how little I read this past year so it’s achievable and if I go beyond that number, even better. Knowing that this is one of my goals, it will be in the fore front of my mind and I will make sure I spend more time reading. I know going into this I may not be 100% all the time with these goals (#8 be flexible) and that is OK, but by having them it helps me stay more focused on what I want to achieve.
What are some of your Goals for the New Year?
