Oh, the New Year and its ever-optimistic resolutions. The dreams! The hope! The promise of change! And then the bitter taste of defeat when we, yet again, fail to keep those resolutions.
Why do so many people end up abandoning their New Year resolutions and other goals?
There are two main obstacles to achieving our goals:
1. Setting the wrong type of goal.
2. Not creating and implementing a plan to achieve our goals.
Why Set Goals?
It’s difficult to imagine life without goals. We have dozens if not hundreds of goals each day, from brushing our teeth to curing cancer. Having goals gives us a sense of meaning and purpose and helps us feel accomplished and content.
How to Achieve the Goals You Set
Here are nine tactics to get you on the right path.
1. Make a Decision
The road of the undecided is littered with failure. You’ve made your resolutions, but have you truly decided to pursue them? Without that commitment, you will give up at the first hurdle.
Tip: Decide for yourself and not for others.
2. Set SMART Goals
Achievable goals have 5 SMART elements:
1. Specific
Set a specific goal and create a detailed action plan to reach that goal.
2. Measurable
Apply a metric to your goal. If you want to be more social, quantify what that means by, for example, counting the events you attend or new friends you make.
3. Attainable
Unattainable goals mean unavoidable failure. Set goals that are challenging, not impossible. It’s a goal, not a miracle.
4. Realistic
Can you pursue and reach the goal given your abilities, schedule and other responsibilities? If you’re not an experienced runner, try setting a goal to run shorter races before trying to run a full marathon.
5. Timely
Set realistic deadlines. Give yourself enough time to reach your goal but not so much that you have no sense of urgency.
Bonus SMART Tip: Choose Meaningful Goals
Without meaning, we lack motivation, and we give up. Meaningful goals inspire and move us.
To understand the “why” behind a goal, fill in the blanks:
“I want to _________ so that I can _______.”
3. Share Your Goals
Share your goals with people in your social circle and/or get an accountability partner. Knowing that others will monitor your results will help motivate you to prioritize your goals and follow your plan.
4. Break Big Goals Into Smaller Goals
Big or difficult goals are easier to reach when broken down into smaller goals. If losing weight is your big goal, choosing a healthy lunch over fast food and walking 20 minutes a day could be your smaller goals.
5. Keep Your Goals Visible
Write down your goals every morning, and keep that note where you can see it several times a day. Visualize yourself achieving your goals.
6. Expect Roadblocks
Obstacles and setbacks are a given, so be ready for them. Make a list of thel potential roadblocks you could encounter and design a contingency plan for each one of them.
7. Don’t Give Up
The path to achieving a goal is never straight and simple. If something doesn’t work, try something else. Stay focused, but be open-minded. There’s usually more than way to get from point A to point B.
8. Reward Yourself
Celebrate your wins. Buy yourself a gift. Take time off. Do something you love. But don’t undermine your efforts by choosing a self-destructive reward, such as a night of binge eating as a reward for losing weight. When you reward yourself for a job well done, you reinforce the mindset, habits and behaviors that you need to accomplish your next goal.
9. Start Now
According to a Chinese proverb, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and psychologists say it takes 18 to 66 days to change a habit or create a new one. So you need to start now and be patient. If you wait until every condition is right, you will never start.
Bottom Line
Big dreams require big planning. If you’re having trouble keeping your New Year resolutions or achieving other personal or professional goals, chances are you’re either setting non-SMART goals, and/or neglecting to set up detailed plans to achieve your goals.
