Welcome to 2018! Most people will tell you that making a New Years Resolution is the thing to do. “It’s Tradition”, they say. I’ve also heard, “It’s a way to reflect on the previous year and see what you want to change”. 

I agree that setting goals is healthy. I also agree that reflecting is healthy. What is not healthy is doing this once a year!  People typically wait until the last minute and the best they can come up with is, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get back in the gym”.  These are common, and often forgotten about midway through January. While both are great goals, this misses the point of making goals. 

https://www.domestically-speaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Resolutions.jpg

Making a goal is about motivating yourself to achieve something.  In my opinion, a goal should be specific, measurable and realistic. Being specific helps to hold you accountable. Being measurable helps you to track your progress. Being realistic ensures that your aren’t setting yourself up for failure. If your goal has these characteristics, it is more likely to be achieved than a generic statement that you came up with at a New Year’s Eve Party. 

If your goal has these characteristics, you also need to reflect on it often. You need to reflect on the goal, to see if what you are doing is working. You need to track your progress to see how you are doing and renew your motivation. Effective goals take work.  If you are not willing to work at it, don’t waste your time setting it. 

This being said, I didn’t waste my time on a New Year’s Resolution. I did however, wake up this morning and review my list of goals. I will continue to do this as the year goes on and I encourage you to join me in doing the same. 

Happy New Years! I wish each of you a productive and successful 2018! 

- Trye17

Image Credit: www.domestically-speaking.com