It's a New Year, Let's Get It Together.
The goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim at.--Batman
We made it! We have finally made it to 2023. The past few years have had lingering pieces of the pandemic world holding many people back from living their lives, but this year is going to be different. At least that’s what we’re all hoping. But now what?
Personally, I think the whole ‘new year, new you’ thing is BS. It is unrealistic to think that just because it’s a new year, you are going to magically become this new person. Most of us don’t need to be someone new, rather, we have things that we want to improve on to make ourselves better. You shouldn’t go into the new year trying to reinvent yourself (unless you want to). But, you should try to set (at least) one personal, professional, and spiritual goal. You should also strive to set both short-term and long-term goals. Write down your goals and keep track of them. I think one common goal everyone has is to just be better than you were the year before. So, how do we do that? How do we create reasonable and attainable goals to set us up for success in the new year?
1. Set realistic goals— Your goals should be challenging but not unattainable. If you never workout and set a goal to work out every single day in 2023, you are likely going to fail. Instead, maybe set a goal to start working out, or to work out X days a week. Having a goal that you can reach, will help you to push harder and set new goals. Reaching the 2 day a week goal can easily turn into 4 days a week. But if you see yourself failing because you set a goal that was too lofty, you may just forget the whole thing and not go at all.
2. Use mile markers—Setting one huge goal can sometimes feel overwhelming. Having the goal to speak a foreign language fluently can feel like a huge feat. Instead, maybe you break it down a bit to be more attainable. Learn 50 words in a month. Be able to speak a full sentence in 2 months. Be able to read in 6 months. Having a clear starting point and knowing where you are going are key to success.
3. Have periodic check ins and gauge your progress— The saying goes, ‘What gets measured, gets managed’ and its true when it comes to your goals. Maybe your goal is to increase your savings by $5,000 by 2024. Using mile markers can help you stay on track. Checking in every month, or maybe every quarter, can help you keep track of where you are and how far you’ve come. If you’re nowhere near $2,500 in June, you may need to reevaluate your plan and make some adjustments. Alternatively, if you are way ahead in June, you can set a new goal of maybe $6,000 by the end of the year. If you don’t check in, though, you can easily get to the end of the year and not realize that you’ve fallen way behind.
4. Share your goals—Sharing your goals with the right person can motivate you to succeed. If someone knows what you are working towards, they will know if you fail. They will also be there to celebrate you when you reach your goal. Don’t tell just anyone, though. Choose people that you admire or that you feel you want to aspire to. Research shows (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190903084051.htm) that if you do not respect or care about the opinion of the person you are sharing your goal with, you don’t care what they think of you if you don’t reach the goal, so choose who you tell wisely.
5. Don’t think you have to set a certain type of goal—Goals are so personal, and if they aren’t something you really want, you won’t reach them. Setting a goal of drinking a gallon of water a day only because you think that is a goal you are supposed to have, will turn into a quick failure. Your goals should be something you truly want and desire, not something you are guilted or forced into.
6. Just because you stumble, don’t give up— Every day is the chance for a new starting point. If you fell short yesterday, don’t let that hold you back from reaching your goal today. Just because you were too tired to cook dinner and stopped at the drive-thru last night, doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel and nix your ‘no fast food’ goal, just try to be better today than you were yesterday.
7. Set a plan—Preparing and having a plan of action will increase your likelihood of success. Knowing where to start, where you are going, and what you need to do to reach your goal makes all the difference. If your goal is to run a half marathon, setting a plan with a training routine, practice runs, and nutrition goals will make you more successful than if you just wing it.
8. Predict the obstacles—Predicting the obstacles that may arise and preparing for them will help keep you focused. Your goal is to bring your lunch more often, but you decide to get it ready the night before because you know that you won’t have time to do it before you go to work. Understanding that obstacle, and finding a solution for it, will increase your likelihood of success.
9. Hold yourself accountable— Having consequences and rewards for your actions helps keep you accountable. If your goal is to wake up early, you may reward yourself with dinner from your favorite place on Friday night. If you fell short and decided to press the snooze too many times, you’re stuck cooking for yourself instead. Making your decisions and actions matter will put you on a path to accountability.
10. Find people with common goals—You have a goal of hiking all the national parks in the US. Finding support from people with the same goal, or interests, will help motivate and encourage you. Being around people that have the same interest who are reaching a common goal will push you to reach your goal more than if you were not around those people. It also helps you to problem solve and overcome obstacles because you have a community of people with experience relevant to what you are trying to achieve.
One of my goals this year is to be more mindful and stop interrupting people when they are speaking.
What are some goals you are working towards? Whatever they are, I hope you reach them.