Around December 29th every year, people all over the country set out to be new and different in some way during the next year. Then, around January 29th every year, those same people are frustrated that they have already missed their goals or have forgotten the goals altogether.
One of the reasons those good intentions fall by the wayside is because we go about goal setting the wrong way. We have these great ideas, but we fail in the execution department. Here are some practical tips:
Make it realistic: If you’ve smoked every day for 12 years, it’s pretty unrealistic to think that you can quit cold turkey. (It can happen, but long-term change usually takes some work.) If you need to drop 50 pounds, it’s very unlikely to expect that you’ll lose it in three weeks. If your goal isn’t realistic, you’ll most likely try and fall short, picking up an unhealthy dose of discouragement along the way. That will lead to throwing in the towel and not having anything to show for your efforts. So, pick a goal that is reachable and realistic.
Make it measurable: if you want to save extra money during the new year for a 20th anniversary trip or start living on a budget, you’ll need to decide how you will know when you’ve reached your goal. Where do you want to go and how much is it going to cost to get there? How much will the activities cost once you arrive? As far as budgeting, have you sat down and figured out how much you make and how much you actually have to spend after paying the regular bills? What kind of system can you have to keep your spending in check?
Break it down: How many times have we all set a goal to lose X number of pounds and fallen short? One reason we have trouble executing, is because we miss the baby steps along the way. (Anyone remember the movie “What About Bob?”) Here’s how it works: think about what has to happen, step-by-step to lose the 50 pounds. What kind of exercise will you do? Jog, Zumba, P90X? How far will you run, how often will you exercise, for how many minutes, how many days? Set smaller goals for each day, then each week, and you will end up getting to your ultimate goal before you know it!
New Years’ Resolutions are great! And, we can achieve them with just a little bit of planning for the details. So, what are you waiting for? There are areas in all our lives that could use a little touch-up. Just remember to make your goals realistic, measurable, and don’t forget to take baby steps!