The start of a new year is a natural time for us to reflect on the past and set new goals for the future.
Whether it is personal growth, professional advancement or improved health and relationships, the new year offers a blank slate to redefine our priorities and chase our aspirations.
But how do we turn resolutions into results?
I do not make resolutions, but I do have goals, and there is a difference. A resolution is a statement of what I want changed and a goal is a statement of what I want to achieve, the steps I need to do to achieve it and when I want to achieve it. Sometimes I do not have a time line, it is just something I am always going to work on.
At the beginning of each new year, I look back on the last and see if I actually achieved what my plan was. Some of that plan did not work out while others exceeded what I expected.
Last year I had planned to ride my horse in a national horse show, and I achieved this with riding at Level 1, and I even did okay considering I did not have the chance to ride very much.
This year my goal is ride more often, not in the winter as I freeze to death in the cold but come spring and summer it will be the time. I plan to advance to the next level, but I also have to reach my goal first that I set from last year, as it is based on my score percentage.
Is this something that I have to pass? No, it is not, it is a personal goal that I feel comfortable with.
We need to set goals with which we are comfortable. Setting a goal of losing 50 pounds in three months is an unrealistic goal, but setting the same weight loss for a year is much more achievable, and it also takes the pressure off.
Setting goals is a great way to get something done, we need to define exactly what we want to achieve. We need to set a criteria to track our progress and ensure our goal has the resources we need. We also need to align that goal with our values and priorities. How important is it to you to accomplish this?
If need be, set a deadline, but make it doable. There is nothing worse than setting a deadline that is too short and not making it to feel like a failure.
Big goals can feel overwhelming, so break them down into smaller ones that are manageable tasks. Each small victory will build momentum and keep you motivated for the next step.
For instance, if you plan to write a book, start by writing daily, but do not plan on writing full chapters each day. If it happens, that is a bonus, and you have exceeded that day’s expectations.
Since my horse is boarded an hour and a half away, when the weather gets nice, my plan is to ride every other week. It may not seem like much, but it is more than what I had last year, and at times life gets in the way.
