Annually considering the state of your life and what changes you can make to move yourself in a positive direction is a great idea. But it's not likely to be enough to get you where you want to go. Most people make resolutions in January and break them by February. By March they're just a bitter memory, causing a guilty feelings and dissatisfaction. So how do you do it? How to you make resolutions work for you?
Enter the concept of goal-setting. Setting goals (resolving to achieve something) is a great motivator, but should be done regularly. I think of it as a program of work. I have short-term goals that I want to achieve in three to six months and longer-term goals that I want to achieve in one year or more. Write your goals and plan down, in pencil, so that it's available for you to revisit often. Here's my recipe, feel free to take what you like and leave the rest:
Step 1: Decide on 3-5 goals (fewer is better). Make them SMART -- specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. For instance, I want to lose 10 pounds in three months.
Step 2: Consider what barriers you may encounter in trying to meet these goals. Determine what solutions are available to help you overcome your barriers. A barrier to the goal above might be having junk food around the house; while solutions would be 1) not buying junk food and 2) having healthy snacks like fruit available instead.
Step 3: List the steps you need to take to achieve the goals you've written. Some steps to the goal above might include 1) meeting with a Registered Dietitian and 2) making a meal plan and 3) shopping for the appropriate foods.
Step 4: Revisit the goals regularly to track your progress and make changes as needed. I recommend revisiting short-term goals monthly to stay on track. Longer-term goals should be revisited every three to six months.
I recently heard this great quote: “You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” ~ Charles Jones. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be exactly the same in five years, or even in five months. Two of my resolutions are to 1) spend more time with people who live like I want to live, valuing the things that I value and 2) continue reading books that matter -- I already have a list of both and am confident that I can turn these into goals.
Resolutions don't have to be a disappointment... Set SMART goals instead. Good luck and Happy New Year!
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