New Years resolutions get a bad rap…
The problem is usually people go in with expectations that are too high, goals that are unrealistic and situational motivation that isn’t backed up with the kind of discipline it takes to achieve their desired goals.
Dedication to their “dream” resolution wanes, they most often don’t end up accomplishing anything much and they quit, feeling demoralized in their failure.
But then the the end of that year approaches and they get caught up in the the “resolution” thinking again, setting themselves up for a self fulfilling prophecy of failure, because they never take the time to really analyze their goal, so they guarantee themselves success.
How is this goal going to fit into your existing lifestyle? Does anything need to change to accommodate it? Is it financially feasible? What kind of discipline will be required? One well known way to assess some of these queries is to subject the potential goals to the SMART Principles.
SMART Goals. We’ve all heard of them, but probably never really taken a closer look or applied them to our own wants and desires.
Specific - be specific about the exact thing you’re wanting to achieve. Is it a sensible expectation to be wanting? Is it going to be significant in your life? Keep it simple.
Measurable - how can you measure your success or progress? Are you motivated to do this? Is your motivation extrinsic or intrinsic? Will the results be meaningful to you, in your life?
Achievable - is it truly attainable with the right amount of effort/hard work/grit/perseverance? Is it something you can agree to do? How aggressive must you be to achieve it? How are you going to be kept accountable?
Relevant - is it a realistic goal to aim for? What’s the relevance in your life? Is it reasonable to believe you can reach it? Do you have to resources required? Will you be able to see results?
Time - can you make it time limited/bound/based/sensitive so you give yourself a relevant or adequate amount of time to achieve your goal? (While perhaps challenging yourself to attain it in a timely fashion ) Is it going to take time away from your family/friends/career? Or be too time consuming?
It’s important to remember too, that they can also be short term, long term or intermediary goals. You can break a long term goal into smaller targets to hit/attain, so you’re always making progress and in a disciplined lane of forward momentum, instead of feeling daunted by a seemingly unattainable goal and left not knowing where to start.
Don’t set yourself up for failure….if you truly want to make positive changes and improvements in your life, then opening your mind to these considerations can help you have realistic expectations and assist you in finding success.
But you also don’t have to wait until the end of the year and join the “resolution” bandwagon; you can set goals anywhere, anytime.
Part of my role as a Life Coach is to help people in examining the changes they want to make, assist them in defining their goals, establish the right supports in place and be a key person to maintain their accountability.
If this sounds like you and you’re ready to achieve your goals….get in touch today!
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