Every year, people set New Year’s resolutions that they do
not keep (and likely that they have no real intention of keeping). The act of
setting resolutions is mostly a joke, isn’t it?
When you think about it, though, each New Year presents an
opportunity to set goals for making ourselves better, for making ourselves
happier.
Take this opportunity to make yourself better and happier.
Here are some tips that will help you succeed.
1.
Think
goals, not resolutions.
The whole idea of setting New Year’s resolutions has become laughable. I
think of my friend, whose resolution every year is to not set any resolutions.
I think of myself, and so many people I know, who do or did find it nearly
impossible to keep their resolutions for even a week or two.
Instead of resolutions, set goals for yourself. Goals are something you
can constantly strive for. If you fall behind or do not stick to your goal for
a day, you can always work toward it the next day. Setting resolutions has become a joke; setting goals is
working toward something.
2.
Commit.
Then recommit.
Choose goals that are important to you and mentally commit to working
toward them, to making progress, and to achieving them. Choose goals that you
know will make your life better.
Realize that commitment is a daily activity, not a one-time choice.
Recommit every day to achieving your goals.
3.
Keep
the list short.
Three to five goals are plenty. One is plenty. The fewer goals you have,
the more you will be able to focus on achieving them. Remember that you have
the rest of your life to set goals and improve yourself. Your success this year
will make next year easier, so keep it simple.
4.
Be
specific and track results.
It is fine to have goals such as
“be nicer” or “lose weight”. But how do you measure that? How do you know if
you have succeeded? How do you know if you are not succeeding so you can
correct your course? The more specific you can be, the better. The more you can
add numbers to your goals, the better. For example, “lose x pounds each month”
or “write a nice note to a friend or family each week.”
5.
Be
realistic.
Think
it through and set goals that you can really accomplish. Becoming a millionaire
this year is not a realistic goal for
most people, but getting a job that makes more money or starting a business probably
is, and it will get you closer to what you really want. Keep in mind that the
goal is improvement; your goals for this year can set you up for even bigger
goals next year and the next.
6.
Write
your goals down.
I used to teach a course on
planning and would always say, “If it is not written down, you do not have a
plan.” Writing your goals down makes you think about them more intently; it
makes you focus. It also gives you something you can review on a regular basis.
7.
Review
your goals at least every few weeks.
What did I just say about writing
down your goals? That act, alone, is powerful; it is even more powerful to
review your goals every week or every few weeks. Sometimes I go for stretches
of time where I review my goals every day. It helps me to focus, and it helps
me to plan my day and week so that I am working toward my goals and making
regular progress.
8.
Ask
for help.
This can be hard, but asking for
help can make a big difference. To an extent, it does not matter whom you ask:
your spouse, a friend, your social media community, etc.
Social media community? Yep.
Sharing some or all of your goals on social media, and providing regular
updates, can be a powerful tool for personal growth. For my weight loss goal, I
report my progress at the beginning of each week. My friends are
super-supportive; it keeps that goal at the forefront; and it gives me some
accountability.
9.
Think
of every day as an opportunity to recommit to your goals.
There will be days and weeks in
which you do a great job of progressing toward your goals, and others where you
totally fall on your face. That is to be expected and totally fine. Every day
provides you a new opportunity to get right back at it. Every day is a new
opportunity to improve yourself and progress toward a better life.
10.
Use your
goals as annual building blocks for a better life.
This
year’s goals can make way for next year’s (writing them down makes this
possible!). In our lives, we will never fix and improve everything we want to,
but each year is a massive opportunity to get better. Use each year to make
progress, knowing that next year, and the new opportunity to improve, is just
around the corner.
