How to Set Goals for the New Year

Goals

1 January is the time that most people make New Year’s resolutions.  I’ve never been a believer in New Year Resolutions.  I don’t think at the stroke of midnight, some magic bullet is going to change our lives.  The problems that were there last week and even the day before, are still there come 1 January.  The two most common New Year resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more.  Approximately 60% of people choose “exercise more” as a New Year resolution.  To me, starting a new diet or exercise program now seems pointless.  Let’s face it – we are still eating all the food from Christmas/New Year parties, we are still catching up with family and friends and most of us are on holidays which should be fun, not the time to start a new exercise/diet regime.

 

Saying that, the start of a new year is a good time to reflect over the past year and write down what worked for you, what didn’t work and what areas of your life you would like to change or improve.  Use the first couple of weeks in January to do the planning and research and then start your new routine in February.  For example, consider what type of exercise you enjoy and look at how you can fit that into your life.  I personally don’t like going to a gym, so it would be a waste of time and money for me to join one.  On the other hand, I enjoy going for walks and my dog absolutely loves it, so if my goal was to “exercise more”, I’m better off planning walking trips with my dog.

Positive Mindset

Try adopting a new positive mindset when setting New Year resolutions or goals for the year.  If you focus on the negative, eventually the resolution will seem hard and you will give up.  Using my example above, if I joined a gym, I may get up every morning and go but if I am not enjoying it, I will eventually stop going and that will be the end of my resolution to exercise more.  However, by deciding to walk more and taking my dog, both of us will be getting enjoyment out of it, so I’ll continue to do it.  Besides, I find it much easier to say no to my personal trainer than I do to my dog!

Types of Goals

After you have sat down and reflected on last year and what you would like to achieve going forward, it is time to set some goals. 

There are two types of theories relating to goal setting:

  1. SMART goals
  2. OPEN goals

SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound, and they focus on where you want to be in the future.  OPEN goals are open ended and non-specific, for example, let’s see how far I can walk today.  They focus on where you are now and then allow you to build on it.

Some people prefer SMART goals as they like to have that set goal and need the motivation to work towards a set target.  For others, if they don’t reach their set target, they can feel like they have failed and therefore eventually give up.  For these people, an OPEN goal works much better for them.

How to Set “SMART” Goals

Each goal should be:

  • Specific:  Your goal must be clear and specific.  Don’t be vague eg “I want to lose weight”.  You need to write “I will lose 10kgs by losing 1kg per month for the next 10 months”.
  • Measurable:  Your goal needs to be measurable so that you can track your progress and stay motivated.  It should include precise amounts, dates etc so that you can measure your success eg “To lose 1kg per month, I will need to lose 250 grams per week”.  Now, 250 grams doesn’t sound a lot, does it?
  • Achievable:  Make sure that the goal you set is achievable.  Set realistic but challenging goals.  Your goals should stretch your abilities but still be attainable.
  • Relevant:  Make sure your goals are relevant to what YOU want to achieve in YOUR life.
  • Time Bound.Have a deadline to achieve the goal by and some milestones to help keep things on track.  This will allow you to focus and have something to work towards.

How to Set “OPEN” Goals

To set open goals, think about what you want to improve, for example “do more exercise”.  Then write down your goal in an open-ended way, for example, “I’ll just see how many times I can walk around the block”.  The next day you will do the same.

4 Steps to Help You Set Goals

There are 4 general steps in setting goals:

1.     Ensure The Goal Motivates You

Motivation is the key to achieving goals.  Ask yourself why the goal is important to you.

2.     Write Your Goals Down

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real.  Use positive words eg “I will”, not “I would like to”.

Put your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your mirror, refrigerator, desk, computer screen – anywhere that it is a constant reminder for you.

3.     Have An Action Plan

Write out the individual steps you need to achieve along the way and cross them off as you achieve them.  This is very motivating as you see the progress you are making.

4.      Persevere!

Set up reminders to keep yourself on track and review your goals regularly.  You may need to change things along the way – but that is ok – don’t beat yourself up over it.

 

So, don’t let another year pass by with inaction and procrastination.  If you need someone by your side to help move forward, call me on 0487 010 121 or email me on colleen@new.lifestylecounsellingservices.com.au

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