Welcome to 2023! As we enter a new year, everyone is making resolutions in the hopes of becoming a better version of themselves in 2023. Setting and sticking to your New Year’s Resolution can be difficult to say the least! Our goals can be too big which often leads to disappointment. We sometimes try to focus on too many goals at one time, instead of focusing on one specific goal. In order for us to reach our goals and increase our confidence, we have to make sure the goals we set are going to help us, not hurt us.
The first step in setting accurate goals is to identify your needs. What is something you have always wanted to do, but do not have the time? Do you want to get stronger? Do you want to prioritize your mental health? Whatever your need is, align your New Year’s resolution with it. You are more likely to follow through on a goal that means something to you.
Secondly, be realistic. Do not set a goal of losing 100lbs in two months. Unrealistic goals set you up for failure which will result in becoming less confident in your ability to follow through and reach goals.
It is important that you do not have too many goals in front of you. This will make it easy to lose focus or get overwhelmed with the goals. Our advice is to pick the two most important goals in your life and focus on those. If that seems to be too overwhelming, focus on one. It is more important that you set a goal and work towards it, than trying to set a million goals.
Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist, founded logotherapy which focuses on identifying a person’s “why.” Frankl proposed that a person could get through any difficult moment in their life, if their why was strong enough. Identify the why behind your goals. If it is not strong enough to sustain you through low moments, you might want to consider another goal.
Lastly, plan for setbacks. Life is messy and things do not always go the way you planned them. A setback does not derail your progress. Keep moving forward towards your goal. Your determination and resiliency will reward you in the end.
Setting a New Year’s resolution can be tricky, but we believe that as long as you identify your needs, be realistic, identify your “why”, narrow down your goals, and plan for setbacks, you will be able to accomplish your goals!
