It’s that time of the year again when you are encouraged to set goals for the coming year, create new habits and make changes for a better life. As great as this can be I really believe that it is fundamentally flawed and perhaps why most new year resolutions don’t last. After a few weeks of over indulgence during the Christmas celebrations, it is easy to fall for the need to eat less, exercise more and find ways to boost your bank balance.
The trouble with the phrase New Year, New You is that it makes a presumption that the Old You isn’t good enough. Yes, I’m sure every one of us can improve things in our lives and many healthy habits have been tossed aside over the last few weeks but was the old you that bad? Before you decide to become a new person maybe it’s worth reflecting on what is great about the old you and what doesn’t require any alteration.
I’m a great believer in the power of gratitude. When you focus on what you have and what you are grateful for, you approach things with a much greater, more positive sense of self. This sets you up for greater resilience. Whereas, when you focus on what you don’t have and what is wrong with your life, you start from a place of lack, which is a lot less motivating. So, before you embark on a new regime to become someone new, take a moment to note down what is already great about you and your life and celebrate those first.
If you want to make changes this year then decide what you can do differently that will have the greatest impact. Often new year resolutions fail because personal expectations are simply too high. Setting too many goals, for example, can be exhausting, so prioritise what you would like to achieve and either focus on the highest priority or the easiest to accomplish. Pick one thing and focus on achieving that first, then you can move on to something else. Make sure you celebrate your wins as this will help keep you motivated.
Ultimately, if you decide to make changes this year, make sure your goals are SMART:
SPECIFIC - What is your desired outcome? Be as detailed as possible with what you want to achieve.
MEASURED - This is where the numbers come in. Define how you will quantify your success. How many lbs, kilos, inches, centimetres, pounds, dollars, etc.?
ACHIEVABLE - Is what you want possible? You have to be able to achieve what you want, so make sure you are being realistic.
RELEVANT - Is what you want is actually what YOU want and not what someone else wants? Also, as we age, our prioritises change so ensure that your goal is still fit for purpose.
TIMED - Setting a deadline will give you the opportunity to gauge your progress and give you date to focus on. Make certain that your deadlines are realistic in order to stay motivated.
Whether you decide to make changes this year or not, remember that a small change can create big results over time. Apply these new year SMART goal setting and you'll increase you chances of success. Start small and remember that, as my nana used to say, “slow and steady wins the race”.
If you’re looking for the perfect book about instigating lasting change, check out Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Comments