If you’re like most people, you abandoned your 2017 New Year’s resolutions in February or March. With 2018 just around the corner, you may be wondering if it’s really worth setting goals for the new year. After all, you didn’t do too well this year. What’s the point?
I believe that we need goals, personally and professionally. We fail, not because we aren’t committed, but because we set lofty goals that aren’t measurable and realistic.
Get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions by doing things differently this year.
1. What is it that you really want to change?
Instead of thinking about what you should do differently, what would make you happy? Resolutions that matter to you personally are more likely to be seen through.
2. Focus on three things:
- What is one thing you want to start doing?
- What one thing would you want to stop doing?
- What is it that you’re doing that you want to continue doing?
3. Set goals that are SMART, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
Instead of saying that you want to eat healthier, tell yourself that you are going to incorporate more color into your menu.
How? By choosing one unfamiliar piece of produce each week and learning to cook with it. Or by selecting a salad when you go out for fast food.
Think about small changes that you can make, instead of making broad, sweeping changes.
You don’t need to download productivity apps or buy a whole bunch of equipment to make lasting changes to your routine. But you do need to really think about your resolutions to have a good handle on what you really want to change. Go into 2018 with determination to be a better you.
Carefully consider your goals to really identify what you want and how you can make lasting changes.
Dawn Brotherton is a Sr. Staff Writer at The American Genius with an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is an experienced business writer with over 10 years of experience in SEO and content creation. Since 2017, she has earned $60K+ in grant writing for a local community center, which assists disadvantaged adults in the area.
