Tag: resolutions newy year 2023 S.M.A.R.T goals goals

Prepare for a Positive New Year Ahead

How are you preparing for a positive start to the upcoming New Year? As 2023 comes to a close, it’s a natural time to reflect on the past 12 months, assessing goals achieved, new aspirations, and the evolution of plans as our perspectives shifted throughout the year.

Regardless of how 2023 unfolded for you, now is the perfect moment to turn your gaze forward and establish the foundation for a fulfilling New Year. In the following article, we’ll explore various practical and mental strategies to ensure you enter January with the right mindset.

Get a Head Start on the New Year

Perhaps you’re considering the approaching holiday season as a brief respite, a chance to rejuvenate your previous New Year’s resolutions. By now, you may have realised that coercing change is ineffective. Regardless of how you spend the final days of the year, it’s crucial to jumpstart your goals, making them attainable, realistic, and personally enriching.

Creating a Game Plan

The initial step toward setting realistic expectations involves identifying your desires and crafting a plan that seamlessly integrates into your existing routines. Ultimately, the aim is to instigate a change that propels you toward your goals.

This can be accomplished by documenting the steps or using tools like calendars to monitor progress. Regardless of your chosen method, consider the following:

  • Identify strengths and weaknesses when formulating or re-establishing goals.
  • Reflect on your current capabilities and what aspects you wish to carry forward from the past year.
  • Recognise goals that haven’t proven effective and identify potential obstacles.
  • Once you’ve discerned what works, start documenting or verbalising these goals.
  • Share your objectives with trusted individuals who can help keep you accountable.
  • Assess your available resources; leverage apps, calendars, or notes to organise and set reminders for staying on track.

New Year, Same Me

Many people dismiss the tradition of making New Year resolutions, often aiming to change aspects of themselves they dislike or wish to improve. This approach contributes to a high failure rate for resolutions.

Changing personal attributes and behaviours requires considerable effort, determination, and perseverance, exceeding the simplicity of returning a borrowed item. While it’s possible to adopt new, healthy habits in the New Year, fixating on the concept of a “new me” often sets the stage for disappointment. Instead of replacing attitudes or goals, consider focusing on improving and building upon your existing capabilities.

How to successfully keep New Year resolutions in 2023

New Year resolutions mostly fail, because they are not the right resolutions for a person and because they are, too vague and arealistic plan has not been made to achieve the resolutions.

In fact, statistics show that only 9% of people actually commit to their  new year resolutions and successfully achieve them. To avoid being a part of this, spend time on thinking about what you want to achieve in 2023 and start setting Smart Goals that will help you to set realistic resolutions that are right for youpersonally and achievable as well.

How to set S.M.A.R.T Goals.

Specific: The resolution should be crystal clear and not vague.For example, don’t write ‘I need to lose weight.’ Write “how much weight you want to lose and the time frame to achieve this.

Measurable: If the goal is weight loss, the best way to measure itto track your weight and measurements on a weekly basis to track you progress. Another effective way to measure your weight loss progress is to take pictures of yourself overtime

Achievable: Your goal should challenge you, but at the same time be achievable. Setting unachievable goals will lead to failure and leave you feeling frustrated.  For example, I want to lose a stone in 8 weeks is an unachievable goal and one that will fail. Instead break your goal down to a more achievable one like “I want to lose half stone in a month. This is an achievable goal and one that you will be more likely to succeed at.

Relevant: Ask yourself the following questions:  Is the goal of high importance to you? How will this goal help improve my life?

Time-bound: Timeline to reaching the goal needs to be realistic,as well. too. So, give yourself enough time to achieve your goal, but also set smaller goals along the way. This will keep you motivated and make your end goal achievable

Here are some of my top 3 tips to help you set and successfully achieve your New Year Resolutions.

1. Break your big goals in to small goals, this will keep you on track and motivated.

 

2. Celebrate every little win along the journey to keep you motivated and ensure you achieve your big goal.

3. Reflect on your progress, this helps you to know how far you have come, when you have a wobble in your journey.