“A new year, a new you” is a common phrase as we enter into a new year. While new year’s resolutions can be motivating and lead to positive change, they can also lead to anxiety and discouragement if we do not reach our desired outcomes.
When considering my goals for the upcoming year, I took some time to reflect on what I value in life and how I can set goals that are meaningful to me.
To learn about your values, try this short values assessment here: Values Assessment
A study completed by Oscarsson et al. (2020) on the success rate of New Year’s resolutions identified the following components in successful goal-setting:
1. Support from Family and Friends
Communicate your goals to those who will support you in your journey. Update them on your progress and discuss any challenges you encounter.
2. SMART Goals:
a. Specific
b. Measurable
c. Achievable
d. Relevant
e. Time-oriented
Goals that are vague without a specific description can be overwhelming and lead to procrastination or failure. For example: “eat three healthy meals per week” as opposed to “eat healthy.” Having specific goals allows you to track progress and feel successful. It’s important that goals are relevant to you. We often hear people set goals around physical activity and nutrition; however, these may not be important to everyone. Try completing the Values exercise listed above to help identify what’s meaningful to you. It’s also helpful to have a time-frame for when you want to achieve your goals. For example: “seeing 50% progress within three months.”
3. Achievable in the immediate future as opposed to long-term goals
Goals that require a longer duration to see results can often lead to failure. For example: purchasing a home or taking a vacation. Try breaking the goal down into something achievable in the immediate future. For example: “complete research on mortgages” or “save $100 from each paycheque toward a trip.”
4. Approach-oriented goals vs. avoidance-oriented goals
Research has demonstrated that approach-oriented goals (i.e., striving toward a desired outcome) typically lead to greater success as opposed to avoiding an undesirable outcome. For example: “watch television for a maximum of 5 hours per week” as opposed to “reduce time spent watching television.”
I hope everyone has a healthy and happy start to the new year!
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