How To Make Better New Year Goals!
I know.. it's that time again. That after Christmas craze of throwing some goals onto a paper and telling yourself that this is the time you will finally get your shit together!! And maybe you're one of those people that do orrrrr.. maybe you're not. Hey I don't judge, we can be friends either way! But the thing about goals is they need to be things you actually WANT to do. Things you're excited about, things that will bring more joy and fulfillment and success into your life. Things that matter to YOU. So I'm not going to tell you anything specific you should do because I don't know you or your life! BUT I am going to share somewhat of a guide or a different way of thinking about these goals. So I hope by the end of this post, you will be inspired to make real and thoughtful goals and ones that you can feel confident about achieving.
ONE
Stop making such serious and "life-altering" goals. I admire that you want to change your life and you're ready to make the upcoming year the best one yet!!! And there's NOTHING wrong with that. Shooting for the stars is always more inspiring than just aiming for the clouds but it's not always necessary. Maybe rather than making a goal to change something major about your life, try to make a small change that will lead to a bigger one later on, sort of like taking steps. So maybe rather than saying "I want to eat healthier" start by saying, "I want to eat out less or I want to eat clean on the weekdays." This way isn't undermining your true goal or making it "easier" for you. It IS making your big goal more manageable and practical. So don't be afraid to make big goals but remember to make fun and simple goals too and ones that will still change you and improve you but maybe not try to change everything about you and your life all at once- that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself in just a year!
TWO
Make goals that YOU are in control of. Sometimes this is more a matter of wording than anything. For example, instead of saying "I want to have a happier marriage next year" you should actually say something more like "I want to be a more supportive, attentive and patient spouse next year" Same goes for anything you are wanting to be "better". You can't control what others do around you so don't expect them to "go along" with your plans because they have their own! Start small and start with you. Think about your goals and how your actions affect them and how your current habits and behaviors affect them.
THREE
If you're serious about your goals then don't make a goal without a plan. I suggest writing down your goal then underneath it, write down at least 3 ways you are going to work towards it or some steps you're going to take to get there. This doesn't have to be an extensive step for step plan but having an idea of what you're going to do will help a lot with accountability and making your goals seem a lot more acheivable. For instance, one of my goals is to reach a certain rank within my direct sales business. Just writing it down is not going to make it happen. I've thought out other mini goals and "steps" I need to take to help me get there. And even if I don't reach it, I still will have done a lot of hard work and made progress towards it that isn't at all wasted!
FOUR
Not a goal person? Cool beans! Another thing I've been seeing a lot more lately and have done for myself is choosing one word that is sort of your "motto" for the year. One word that can be an all encompassing reminder of what you want to do this year or maybe just what you want to ponder and be inspired by. If you have trouble or anxiety about choosing just one word, try minimizing each of your goals into one word then writing those words on a piece of paper. Now you have a collage of words or short phrases to keep you motivated for the year!
FIVE
Now what? Most people are able to think of amazing and inspiring goals and they are good at writing them down and maybe even coming up with some steps to get there but then where does it go wrong? Why aren't our goals reached or why do we do work on them really good for the first few months of the year and then either "forget" about them or just give up? I think the biggest reason for this is that the goals aren't visible, they aren't seen by us every day. So my biggest tip after you've written your goals is to hang them up where you have to look at them every single day! And everyone knows this but having a friend or family member who is aware of your goals and can help keep you motivated and accountable is KEY! So help each other out and make sure you're both keeping up with them!
As cliche as it may be to make New Years Resolutions, I do think there is value in it and there's a lot of power in shifting your mindset and giving yourself a fresh start when a new year begins. So what are you envisioning for the next year? What big goals and plans do you have?
