Set New Year’s Resolutions That Are Achievable

Each year, people make resolutions to commit to over the year, but only a few actually achieve their goals, and, at the end of the year, they whine on unachieved goals, which have been carried over for a few years. The main reason we break our resolutions is that we get overwhelmed and tend to over-commit. We set unrealistic goals without giving them a proper thought or making a plan. Another common mistake in setting a resolution is that we set impractical timelines, and then most of us blame our busy schedules for our lack of follow-through.

Here are a few tips for setting achievable resolutions:?????

In 1981, the journal of Management Review coined the term SMART goals, an acronym which stands for – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Let’s explore what each term means.

Specific: The goal should be simple, precise, and concrete. One should aim for the end result but break it into small steps to make it doable. For example, if you want to lose weight, don’t say, “I want to lose weight.” Make it tangible and instead say, “I will lose 2 kg weight in next two months, and by the end of the year, I will lose 12 kg”. That way, you know exactly what and how you would achieve the goal.

Measurable: Many mistakenly assume that the achievement of the end result indicates its measurability. In reality, it simply means you should be able to track your progress over a period of time. In case your goal is fitness or weight-loss related, it is obvious that you can track your progress in numbers, i.e., how much weight in kilos you have lost over the period. But it becomes difficult to keep track if you are planning to break a bad habit, such as if you plan to quit smoking or reduce social media usage. In that case, you need to create a log to note down how many times you smoke or use social media daily and then gradually reduce the number. That way, you can see your actual progress versus the planned one.

Achievable: A general mistake while setting a goal is getting over-excited and setting unrealistic goals. We aim for the end result, and despite taking the pragmatic approach, we want a big leap to reach out to it. For example, if you want to start saving money to buy your own house, it would be unrealistic to say you would save 5000 riyals in one year. You have to make a list of all your expenses in a month and see how you can cut down your unnecessary expenses and save on a monthly basis. Start with a lesser amount, say 200 riyals per month. (And if that’s easy, you can slide that number up to 300 or 400 riyals a month).

Relevant: This step is about ensuring whether the goal really matters to you. For instance, if you aim to learn any new skill, make sure that you are enthusiastic about it. Such as, if you want to be a makeup artist, you should be passionate about it and should be able to practice it day in day out.

Time-bound: Every goal needs to have a deadline, or else it remains only a dream. That simply means giving yourself enough time to do it with lots of smaller intermediate goals set up along the way. When you complete smaller steps, it boosts your confidence. For instance, if you start your education or a career, give yourself realistic deadlines to get admission to the desired college or get a decent job.

These steps effectively break down the goals into manageable chunks and provide clarity, focus, and motivation that is needed to achieve any goal. It can also improve your ability to reach them by encouraging you to define your objectives and set a completion date. It is all about creating small wins.

Go get your goals!