Can you believe another year is almost over? As this year comes to an end, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on all the good things that came, all the lessons learned, and what we hope to maybe do a little better next year. Every year, people all around the world make resolutions to reach their goals, improve their health, and better their lives. While some are successful at keeping those resolutions, many fail. Of those who make a New Year’s resolution, after 1 week, roughly 75% are still successful at keeping it. After two weeks, the number drops to 71%. After 1 month, the number drops to 64%, and after 6 months, 46% of people who made a resolution are still successful in keeping it.
Perhaps this could be the year that you make AND keep your resolutions! Let’s looks at some tips for setting yourself up for success. Sometimes it’s more than just setting a resolution but rather all about setting SMART goals that hold you accountable and help put focus on celebrating the small victories along the way. Let’s all set ourselves up for a successful 2022!
What are the SMART Goals?
- Specific: Make sure your resolution(s) are well-defined. Perhaps your goal is to spend more time with family. That’s pretty generic, and it can be hard to quantify what that looks like. Instead, determine the who, what, where, when, and why. For example, perhaps your goal is to make it home for dinner during the week and spend Saturdays as a family doing something together, like going hiking.
- Measurable: Make sure you can measure your progress. Detail the key indicators that help you decide when you have reached your goal. Or, if you are at least moving in the right direction. Set smaller goals along the way and celebrate the small wins!
- Achievable: Create goals that are attainable and achievable. If you have a schedule that causes you to work until 8 PM 4 days a week, setting a goal of being home for dinner at 6 PM is not attainable. Make sure your goals match what it realistic for you.
- Realistic: Be honest with yourself and set goals you know you are capable of. Think about possible hurdles you may have to overcome.
- Time-bound: Give yourself a deadline. Don’t keep pushing towards a goal you might hit “someday.” This can cause you to lose sight of your goals and lose interest.
Think about what you want to achieve in the upcoming New Year. Write down your goals. Make sure they are SMART. Turn these SMART goals into your resolutions, and perhaps this will be the year you stick with the goals you set for yourself.