Many people across the world view the mark of the new year as the perfect time to set goals or New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, studies indicate that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions go unachieved. There are likely hundreds of reasons why New Year’s resolutions, or any goal, might fail. However, there are a few extremely important elements of goal setting that can massively improve your chance of success. Let’s explore.
Goal Reasonability
There’s a lot to be said in favor of reaching for the stars. However, there are a lot of steps between looking at the sky, building a rocket ship, and making the journey. However, a lot of goals are these grandiose ideas about losing 200lbs in a year or going from sedentary to running a marathon in two months.
Consider how close you are to that goal right now. Then factor in your resources, your mental, physical, and spiritual health along with your other responsibilities. Add some give and take for unforseen hiccups in your plans, and then set a goal comfortably within those parameters.
Clear and Specific Goals
When you set a goal, you must be clear and specific. “I want to get healthy this year” is a very nice thought but it’s not much of a goal. A goal has the who, what, where, why, and how built into it. For example “I’m going to improve my physical health by losing 40lbs by December 31st. I will do this by forming a diet plan with a nutritionist and exercising with a personal trainer. I am doing this to feel healthier and to have more energy.” Notice that this example includes a specific timeline, and a specific plan. It also includes on the most vital parts of a goal, the why. Without the why, it will be much more difficult to maintain motivation throughout the process.
Goal Reality Check
Chances are that your life does not exist in a completely solitary existence. Thus, your plans to peruse the achievement of a new goal will likely impact other people. For example, if you plan to go back to school and pursue a graduate degree, how will that plan impact the other important people in your life, your job, and your finances? Be sure to discuss your goals with those important people and make sure that you head out on your journey knowing about your support system, and/or how your goal could challenge your relationships.
Break It Down
Motivation is like a fire. You have to continuously feed it, stir it up, and maintain it to keep it burning. One of the best ways to maintain goal motivation is to take your big goal and break it down into smaller goals that you achieve throughout your timeline.
For example, if your goal is to save $5,000 dollars in a year, your first step/mini goal might be to open a savings account. Or perhaps to create a budget. Your next step or mini goal might be to make your first deposit.
Celebrate Success
Another key element to maintaining motivation is to celebrate your successes. Even tiny successes on your path to goal achievement deserve recognition. Find a healthy way to reward yourself. Or, call a good friend to share the positive news. However you do it, make sure that you recognize your progress on every step of your journey.
Flexibility
Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of your goals. It’s important to be a little bit flexible with your plans so that you can still make progress and meet all of your other responsibilities. Illness, job loss, family emergencies, or even positive things like holidays and family weddings can create stumbling blocks on your road to success. That’s ok. It happens. The important thing is to do your best during those times and keep refocusing yourself on your goal.
Remember, it’s ok to redefine your goals along the way. It’s not written in stone. For example, if your goal is to get a college degree and you lose your job, you may have to consider taking off a semester to find new employment and restore your finances. Or, perhaps you feel that taking fewer credit hours becomes necessary because you suddenly have to work more. These things don’t mean the end of your goal journey. They just mean that you might need to get creative and reconfigure your plans a little.
Accountability Parnters
Many people find it hard to stay accountable for their goals themselves. It’s pretty normal to need an accountability partner. An accountability partner is someone who knows the details of your goal who knows to ask you about your progress. You can also turn to that person to celebrate success, vent frustrations, and perhaps even troubleshoot around obstacles.
A lot of people turn to life coaches for accountability partnership. People also may turn to close friend and family members, significant others, religious leaders, or mentor figures. Whoever you choose, make sure it’s someone you can trust to be emotionally available and supportive.
No matter the time of year, or the circumstances, you can set goals with the best chances for success. Just remember, all the planning in the world can’t follow through for you. Be persistent and put in the work and you’ll be making progress in no time.