New Year’s Resolutions are a common theme at the beginning of each year. People decide it’s time to make some changes with the hope to better themselves. If you’re like me, you may have found yourself making these resolutions each year. Unfortunately, I would start the year ready to see that change, only to slowly slip back into my old routine within weeks or months.
After going through this process and finding myself unsuccessful – AGAIN – I decided to search for an answer. Where did I go wrong? It took listening to a podcast and taking notes to find the answers.
A resolution is an expressed intention for a certain course of action, ie.,
I am going to lose weight this year. The problem is most resolutions are more open-ended. That’s where I found my problem. I made a general statement, but never focused on the specifics.
A goal creates a finite timeline. There is nothing open-ended with a goal. You can also create short and long term goals to track your progress. Creating SMART goals with a specific plan was the key to finding success. If you aren’t familiar with SMART goals, let me share this with you:
S – Specific – Be very clear with your goals. (Lose weight vs. I will lose 15 pounds)
M – Measurable – Allows you to evaluate your progress (are you on track to lose the 15 pounds)
A – Attainable – You can reasonably accomplish the goal (losing 15 pounds in 2 months is much more attainable than losing 50 in 2 months)
R – Relevant – Does your goal align with your overall objective? (If getting healthy is your objective, then losing weight may align with that objective)
T – Time-Specific – Set an end date for your goal(s). Make sure to include end dates for all the short-term and long-term goals to track your progress.
Once I created these goals, I wrote them down, posted them where I could see them every day and tracked my progress. The timelines gave me an end date, and I always had a way to measure my progress. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know I love checking off boxes. It was so exciting to crush those goals and check off that box. It gave me the push to keep going. When I didn’t reach a goal, I evaluated the situation and made adjustments as needed.
So this year, ditch the resolutions and start focusing on SMART goals. Here’s hoping 2021 is your year for BIG SUCCESS!
Know someone who may benefit from this? Please feel to share!
See you next week!
