Have you ever set a resolution for the new year, only to break it before it was achieved? Well, you’re not alone. A few weeks before a new year begins – during late December – millions decide on goals they hope to work toward in the new year. By the second week
of January, most of those goals are either broken or forgotten.
It’s happened to me too. For the past three or four years, one of my resolutions was simple: spend more time working out. The goal was straightforward enough, I thought, yet I never exercised more than I did the previous year. Usually, I was never bothered by
my lack of motivation to reach this goal – or any goal for that matter – that I’d set, until this year.
My unbothered behavior often stemmed from my busyness with other things. However, for the first time in a long time, that hectic workload that makes me feel like I’m being purposeful has significantly decreased. It all feels like I’m starting things from scratch,
and therefore, achieving my goals feels more like a necessity than a luxury. But how do I go about achieving? How do I not fall into past habits and actually work toward the goals I’ve set for myself?
Well, here are a few pointers I believe would be beneficial to me, and possibly to you, if meeting your goals is something you struggle with:
Prepare your body, mind, and spirit for your New Year’s resolutions:
The desire to work toward something doesn’t always come naturally. In many cases, I have found that the energy and drive you need to reach completion begin with the preparedness of your body, mind, and spirit.
Oftentimes, when we are preparing goals, we write or develop them just for the sake of it. Maybe we want to ensure we have an answer for those who may ask about our resolutions, but somewhere in the back of your mind, you know the likelihood of you working on a particular goal is low. But if, as you’re setting a goal, you register the actuality of completion or hard work within yourself, your likelihood increases.
Passion for the goals you’re setting may help with this. For example, gradual weight loss is something I’ve wanted to work on for years, but formal exercise has never been something I’m interested in. So, who am I actually kidding, that all of a sudden, I’d want to exercise? I’m really only kidding myself. If I, instead, focused on losing or managing my weight through trying new foods and recipes that are flavor-rich but calorically low, then maybe action would have followed my goal.
Nobody knows you the way you know yourself. Don’t set yourself up for failure by creating goals that you know you won’t work towards, or will feel like a chore, because sooner or later, they will be dropped. Instead, set goals that excite you, things that, when settled in your spirit, will be fun to work toward.
Be intentional:
Registering the plans within your body is the first step. Actually doing it is the second, and equally important. Intentionality has to be paired with what you’re working toward, or it’ll be forgotten about.
If I’ve set a goal to increase my relationship with God, but the first thing I do when I wake up is doom scroll on social media, I’m not helping myself achieve this goal. Instead of taking a social media first approach, I have to choose to pray first thing when I wake up, or read a scripture that I can stand on throughout the day. And as easy as it may be to type this, it’s not the easiest thing to do…with any
goal.
Even with passion fueling our goal, our bodies may go through bouts of lethargy or lack of motivation. The only thing that can combat this is intentionality. And yes, that could mean pushing through internal struggles and fighting through those “I don’t want to” feelings. But if you’re determined to reach that goal, you cannot get there without intentionality. It’s an important tool in your “goal-
setting” tool kit.
Set small achievable goals:
One thing many people setting goals fall subject to is making the goal too big. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, but it’s important to understand that to achieve big dreams, you’ve gotta take small steps to get there…one step at a
time.
You can’t determine the number of licks it’ll take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop by just looking at it…you’ve gotta lick it! Similarly, (and less silly), you cannot just decide that you’ll become the next big influencer without putting in the work. You’ve gotta devote time to developing ideas, writing scripts, being committed to producing timely content, and more.
The best way to do this is to start small and work up to the “big”. Because, honestly speaking, when you have a perfectionist attitude as I do, earning a new skill can feel laborious if I haven’t conquered it immediately. Thus, giving up on it becomes easier. Do you know how much pressure that is to put on yourself?
So, start small. If your goal is to read more, don’t attempt to read a 500-page book in a week. (Of course, feel free to try that if you want!) Instead, try reading a chapter a day or setting a certain reading hour limit for the week. Eventually, you’ll work your way through books like it’s nothing.
But don’t set yourself up for failure by “coming in hot.” Start small, set realistic steps, and watch yourself meet that goal.
Have an accountability partner:
It’s likely that even after carrying out all these steps, you’re still uncertain that you have what it takes to achieve your New Year’s resolution. One final step you can take is acquiring an accountability partner. This shouldn’t be the person who’s your usual yes man or the friend who enables your “for the plot” moves.
Your accountability partner should be someone who wants to see you achieve your goals just as much as you do. This should be someone who is not afraid to tell you the hard things you may not want to hear…someone who, when they notice your lack of enthusiasm, will step in as a motivator to get you to cross that finish line. If you can find all the amazing qualities in one person – a loving friend who will never let you give up – that’s even better.
That person for me is definitely my mom. She knows when to be a good listener, when to offer advice, and when to encourage me beyond my current mood. This always leads me to want to strive to accomplish the goals I’ve set for myself, while also not disappointing her.
So, as you go about working on those New Year’s resolutions throughout the year, consider applying these pointers to your life. Maybe try them one at a time, or all at once, but just try something new if you want to see results as you set out to achieve your
goals. I believe this is the perfect year to put your best foot forward and do something new. ~ Shanaé H.
