This New Year, Don’t Set Resolutions. Set Goals

How often have you set a resolution only to have abandoned it by February? Research indicates that less than one in four people will stick with their resolution after 30 days, and only 8% of those that make a resolution will commit to it 100%.

While it’s inspiring to use the gap between the year that was and the year that’s about to be to envision ways to be better versions of ourselves, it’s important not to let our holiday mind rule our everyday mind.

Our bodies need time to relax and recharge. We sleep at night so that we can think clearly the next day and we have a weekend so that we can come back Monday firing on all cylinders. We generally don’t use the night time or the weekend to make critical life or career decisions. We use it to be inspired to take action when we wake up or start the new week.

That’s where I believe we fall down when making resolutions. We make decisions or statements in the break period when we’re supposed to be recharging. We are granted the Christmas and New Year time to unwind before we kick off a new calendar year, and in this instance, a new decade.

Turn your resolutions into goals

So, it’s the first week of January and you’ve already set resolutions? That’s ok! You can make them goals. Tangible, tactical plans that will take you from vision to accomplishment.

Without a plan to get you there, your resolution will make you one of the 92% of people who never see their vision through. Compare this to the 76% of people who achieve goals from writing them down and monitoring weekly progress. If you want to get somewhere in life that you’re not presently at, a goal – a plan – is the best way to get there. A hopeful resolution made on New Year’s Eve doesn’t give you good odds.

5 ways to set and track goals

Here are some of the ways I suggest my clients take action toward tangible goals that will help you succeed in achieving your resolution this year:

1. Journal – weekly or daily, it’s important to take stock of your thoughts, feelings and actions so that you can review progress and uncover any blockages that may prevent you from reaching your goal.

2. Understand the motivation behind your goal and have a vision for how life will be when you reach it.

3. Give yourself a final reward when you’re there, but also identify the milestones to reward yourself along the way.

4. Set yourself up for success by getting the resources and lifestyle you need around you (i.e. gym equipment, food tracker, resume updated etc). Sometimes this means eliminating people or behaviours from your life as well.

5. Tell people about your goal. Being accountable is one of the greatest ways to stay on track!

Remember the reason you made your resolution. Something inside you told you that you will feel great when you achieve this. So, don’t make it a resolution that will fall by the wayside come 1 February – make it a goal to achieve in 2020.