New Year's Resolutions - Yay or Nay?

Whenever New Year’s comes around—one common question often arises: “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” Do you still make them? I’m curious because it seems like over the years, people have stopped thinking about it or making them. Perhaps they’re hard to achieve? They’re unrealistic? They tend to fall through by the time February comes around? What do you think?

I believe setting some goals are a significant part of life for any human being. They can be as small or large depending on the individual. But there’s something about the New Year that feels like this is the time for a “fresh start” for many people. If you’re looking to set some New Year’s goals, I’d recommend following this simple acronym (which you may already be aware): SMART. Here’s what SMART goals are all about:

S - Specific: Setting goals that are specific and narrow help to plan out what you want to achieve. Example: Instead of “I will study harder,” try “I will increase my GPA by 1/4 of a point.”
M - Measurable: Make sure that your goals can be measured, such as assigning a number to your goal or some quantifiable outcome. Example: Instead of “I am going to jog more,” try “I am going to jog 1 km in less than 10 minutes.”
A - Achievable: Setting realistic and achievable goals can help you reach them more easily and keep you motivated. Example: Instead of “I will become team leader of my department after 3 months in the company,” try “I will work hard and aim to be team leader in the next two years.”
R - Relevant: Setting relevant goals will ensure that they are worthwhile to achieve. Example: “I will meditate to be more in control of my emotions because this will help improve my mood and reduce stress.”
T - Time-Bound: Having a time-based goal can maintain motivation because you now have a date/time of when the goal would be accomplished. Example: Instead of “I will finish my project soon,” try “I will finish my project by next Friday evening.”

Once you have SMART goals in place, it’s easier to notice when you’ve gone off track or need to make adjustments to keep the motivation up. If you haven’t already, try using this SMART goals technique as a way to set those new year’s resolutions or any goals for that matter!

If you’d like more guidance or support on setting goals this year, or are feeling a little unmotivated, feel free to contact me to discuss how counselling or therapy can help you in the process!