But how often do you achieve them?
Often these goals are too vague or you dont properly plan for them.
And they add to the pressure to make your new year better than the previous one.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Setting and achieving resolutions can prove challengingfor some and seemingly impossible for others.
It is important to keep your goals grounded in reality.
But even in the face of considerable obstacles, you’re free to set goals and reach them.
However, it may require a shift in perspective.
Focus on what is going well rather than what is going wrong to change your perspective for the better.
That’s why its better to set intentions rather than resolutions.
Some New Years resolutions are dead on arrival and will never really take hold.
Unlike resolutions, intentions are more fluid, more abstract.
They can change as your situation changes.
it’s possible for you to set intentions at any time.
An intention might be to be more mindful of your actions, or give back more to your community.
Goal Setting Strategies
With intentions, you visualize the life you want.
With goals, you give yourself direction.
For a goal to be achievable, though, it must be realistic.
When setting a goal, try using the SMART method.
The goal must be:
Lets say your intention is to save more money.
you could create a SMART goal of saving $50 a week for six months.
This is a specific goal that can easily be measured on a weekly basis.
Or, perhaps youll decide $50 is unrealistic and $25 is more reasonable.
By the end of the six months, youll reach your intention.
This is something it’s possible for you to do quickly and track easily.
Maybe writing down a weekly to-do list makes you more likely to complete tasks.
Maybe texting a friend every day helps you stay motivated.
Try one, using a goal-setting method, and if thats working, add another.
There are no rules that you have to do it alone, says Dr. Mitchell Brown.
Making your goals public and sharing with others increases your commitment and likelihood of success.
Having someone to cheer you on or help keep you on track is important.
This can also lead to emotional turmoil or decline in performance in your daily routine.
It will lay down the facts for you clearly enough to make a decision.
However, theres a fine line between staying informed and being obsessive.
Dr. Parmar recommends shutting down your phone for a full day and focusing on the world around you.
This will teach you the art of being mindful about yourself and your surroundings, she explains.
If this proves helpful, try extending this another day or implementing a no-phone policy once a week.
It can increase mental as well as physical fatigue, fueling procrastination.
Expect the Unexpected
Dont let unexpected events, or self-care needs, deter you from your goals.
Understand that setbacks dont have to detract from your achievements.
Give yourself permission to pivot plans, too.
Or you might review your goals and decide to completely rewrite them.
These behaviors may be diverting you from your intentions and causing you undue stress.
Taylor J, Wilson JC.Using our understanding of time to increase self-efficacy towards goal achievement.Heliyon.
2019;5(8).
