Let’s talk about New Year’s goals. A goal is something that you want to achieve and that you spend a certain amount of time working towards. Personally, I love goals more than resolutions.
Everyone makes resolutions, but by the second week of January, they are completely forgotten about. Resolutions are too strict, which is why creating a list of New Year’s goals is the ultimate way to stay productive in the New Year!
Goals can lead to more productivity and can be a great way to hold yourself accountable. It is also extremely rewarding to look back at the end of the year to see what you’ve achieved. Here are six ways to help you stick to your New Year’s goals!
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✮ Write them down
The best way to hold yourself accountable is to have a physical form of everything you want to achieve. Write them down on a piece of paper or in your notes on your phone. If you want to get more creative, make a vision board!
Being able to see items in list form or picture form stimulates motivation as you can see what you’re working towards. It also stimulates productivity as your overall goal ends up being crossing everything off your list. You also won’t be able to forget your goals if they are easily accessible.
Check out my favourite planners on LIKETOKNOW.It here!
✮ Be realistic
When it comes to setting goals, be realistic. Yes, it’s good to have long-term goals, but don’t make those your new years goals if you know you won’t be able to accomplish them within the year. You will end up disappointed when it comes time to re-evaluate your list at year’s end.
Set short-term goals for yourself that you know you will be able to accomplish. However, don’t make easy goals. Challenge yourself. It is okay if you don’t accomplish everything on your list, but don’t stretch yourself.
✮ Make monthly goals
Set monthly goals for yourself so that you can feel accomplished all year long. They don’t have to be big goals, they can be anything from reading one book a month or volunteering for a set amount of hours. By giving yourself periodic due dates for your goals you will be more likely to accomplish them.
✮ Be specific
When it comes to setting goals, be specific. Goals that are too broad are often the ones that get forgotten about. For example, going to the gym is one of the most common goals yet it’s also one that gets left behind every year. Why? Because it’s broad! Instead of saying you’ll go to the gym, set the goal of going to the gym a certain amount of times a week. Setting specific goals makes it harder for you to lose track of yourself.
✮ Keep note of your progress
Keep a journal or write notes about your progress throughout the year so you can reflect on how you really did when it came to accomplishing your goals, where you went wrong, and what you could improve in the future when it comes to those same goals or new ones.
✮ Don’t Give up
Lastly, don’t give up on yourself or your goals. You may fall off the tracks every once in a while, but that is no excuse to give up. Everyone has off days and its okay to take breaks for yourself, but every day is a new opportunity to accomplish something new!
If you miss a day at the gym, do a longer workout next time you go. Didn’t finish reading your book per month? Read two books next month.
Surround yourself with supportive and encouraging people who support your goals to ensure you don’t lose sight of yourself or your goals.
Question: What are your New Year’s goals?
I love the framing of having goals that are long term and tangible as opposed to resolutions which may be short lived and too constrained. Goals definitely encourage a more mindful approach, allowing a person to be kinder to themselves as they strive and reassess! Great post!
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Hi there,
Firstly you are amazing for holding things together! You go to school and you work..thats commendable.
I enjoyed this post. It was inspirational. I won’t give up.
My goal is to travel more this year, worry less, focus on today and not yesterday. I also want to improve my spirituality and relationship with my maker, improve my business and get fit and healthy..I have some plans and have incorporated some stuff into my daily routine…
Thank you! It is a lot of work, and sometimes not everything gets done, but I manage! Thank you for enjoying my post. It means a lot to me. Those are great goals. I believe that you can achieve them! 2020 is your year!
Great article! I’ve been a lot more detailed in my goals for the past two years, and it has helped! By taking one of my yearly goals and making small monthly goals to reach it, I feel like I’m more inclined to succeed!
That’s great! I find for myself that smaller short-time goals are more effective for me than long-term goals that are harder to picture and actualize.
My goal this year is to work on my lack of discipline. It will be a long process, but I think it will be absolutely worth it in the end. Thanks for the great tips!
Resolutions have the implication that we’re trying to change old habits. Goals sound more like creating new ones, framed as a positive instead of a negative. This mindset shift along with the tips you mentioned will hopefully make 2020 a successful year.
I agree! Goal setting sounds better than making resolutions and, therefore, is more effective because of its positivity.
I love this! I’ve never really liked the idea of resolutions…it feels like waiting for a new beginning to stop something negative. Goals are so much more positive and positive = motivating!
I feel the same way! Yet, I make goals all the time so I figured maybe New Year’s goals would be more effective than resolutions. Thanks for the taking the time to reply!
Great ideas! I already have fallen off the wagon on some of my eating goals! Writing them down and making specific smaller goals is a great idea!
Good points! I especially think consistency can be be hard to maintain in any goal. well done article!
Keeping track of your progress is super helpful!!