“This year, I’m going to work out at the gym 1 hour a day, 5 days a week.”
“This year, I’m going to start a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet to lose weight.”
A particular feature of the New Year is that it somehow prompts most people to set resolutions. Reflecting on past years, has it worked for you? Have your resolutions been achieved? If the answer is no, this article is for you. Perhaps the problem lies with the resolutions themselves, not with you.
Start by grabbing a pen and paper. Write down your resolutions for the coming year.
Are these the same resolutions as last year? Are they the same resolutions that come back year after year in the hope that an automatic change will magically occur with the change of calendar?
If this sounds familiar, take a moment to think about why these resolutions haven’t worked out in the past. If it hasn’t worked before, there must be a reason, right?
Lack of perseverance may have played a part, but it’s just as crucial to examine the resolutions themselves. Are they realistic and motivating? Have you planned how to achieve them? Are there resources missing to get there? Are the goals beyond your current capabilities? Dive into the reasons why EACH of your resolutions failed in previous years.
Perhaps part of the problem actually lies in the term resolutions. According to the Cambridge dictionary, a resolution is “a promise you make to yourself to do or not to do something”. A goal, on the other hand, is defined as “an intention or something you want to achieve”.
This means that resolutions are usually significant unplanned changes based solely on a decision, such as saying, “Starting this year, I’m going to remove carbohydrates from my diet.” This aligns with the “make it or break it” concept that most people follow when setting resolutions. On the other hand, goals are more structured, driven by ambition and involving meticulous planning. They are rooted in self-knowledge of your current state, your capabilities and your resources.
This year, consider adopting goals instead of resolutions, specifically SMART goals! Make sure they’re Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. Look out for the next article, where SMART goals will be explored in detail to help you achieve your goals.
Now, as you formulate your goals for this year, keep the following tips in mind:
- Slow down: Nobody’s chasing you! So don’t rush. Focus on one goal at a time, allowing changes to become ingrained habits.
- Accept imperfection: Remember Maya Angelou’s quote, “Do your best until you know better, then when you know better, do better.” Start NOW with what you know.
- Make it fun: Change can be uncomfortable, so add elements of fun to the process to reinforce your commitment. Music, stickers, rewards: it’s all valid!
Finally, I wish you all the best for the New Year ahead. May the goals you set for yourself this year be inspired by the lessons you’ve learned today, and may they finally come to fruition!
