New Year, New You
New Year's resolutions are a popular way to set intentions for the year ahead. However, they can be notoriously difficult to maintain. In one study on New Year's resolutions, only 19% of people stuck to their goals two years down the road ¹. Why are annual objectives so tough to keep? It all comes down to how — and why — you set them.
The good news is that there are proven techniques that can make resolutions tools for sustainable and meaningful transformation. Here are some tips to creating value-based goals to set yourself up for success in 2024:
Find purpose behind your goals through a values-based approach: Resolutions like losing weight or working out more are often meaningless without a larger objective or emotional tie. The more a goal is linked to something that is deeply important to you, the more likely you are to achieve your objectives. To determine your "why," tie your goals to your core values. Sit down in a quiet place with a resource like Brene Brown's list of values and deeply reflect on your priorities. Maybe it's family, faith, career, or integrity. There are no right answers, but understanding what you care about will open the doors to setting goals that matter. Once you've written your core values, you can create goals with purpose. For instance, if one of your core values is family, and your goal is to lose weight, you can reframe the goal to something along the lines of "becoming healthy so that I have the energy and vitality to better serve my family." From there, you can break the goal down into more specific and measurable components.
Create SMART goals: Setting SMART goals is a well-known technique for enhancing the chances of completion. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Use the SMART technique to create specific goals with quantifiable measurements that push your limits an appropriate amount past your current abilities. An example of a SMART goal is "by March 1, 2024, I will run a 10-kilometer race."
Set up interim check-ins for your progress: If you set a big goal with a year-long timeline, you might not feel driven to work towards your goal immediately — you might think "oh, I have time, I can get started later." Setting goals too far into the future can cause you to lose momentum, or even give up on your plan. To avoid thwarting your success before you even get started, break your overarching goals into smaller bite-sized milestones (using the SMART technique above) and set up quarterly or even monthly progress check-ins with a friend or coach.
Work with a coach: Research suggests that working with a coach can help you achieve your goals. A coach can help you identify your values, set SMART goals, and hold you accountable for your progress. They can also help you overcome obstacles and provide support when you need it most ¹².
In conclusion, New Year's resolutions can be a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation. By setting value-based goals, creating SMART goals, setting up interim check-ins, and working with a coach, you can set yourself up for success in 2024 and beyond.