You may or may not be into the whole RESOLUTION thing. Whether you choose a resolution or not – we all have goals and areas we want to improve. We naturally think about these things as we approach a New Year. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the past few years that have helped me with more effective goal setting!
Focus On ONE Area Of Your Life You Want To Improve
Is there an area of life when you look back on your year that you’d really like to improve? [finances, fitness, academics, mindset, organization, marriage]. If there’s a really obvious area, that’s important to you, consider creating your resolution around that one thing. Keep it simple & focused. I’m not a big fan of focusing on the negative – but the truth is, “pain” can be a big motivator. If you don’t like the way something felt or the way something turned out – we can use that disappointment as a motivator for change.
For example one year, as a new mom, when looking back on my year, I felt an overwhelming theme of RUNNING BEHIND and RUSHING AROUND each day. A big part of that was because I hadn’t developed or stuck to a morning routine. The simple things: get up and workout before the baby wakes up, shower + wash face, makeup or get dressed [probably not both haha], unload the dishwasher in the AM, etc.
I remember my days of waking up with my son, feeling behind immediately, and then trying to cram everything I needed to do in a window of time that was just too small. It was really important to me to NOT feel behind all the time. It was important to me to prioritize my fitness and wellness, yes, but even more than that – I CRAVED feeling prepared for the day. I even craved that hour of quiet alone time before my family woke up. So for an entire year, I practiced my morning routine. I felt SO rewarded when my habits became effortless & my days felt less chaotic. It was a huge payoff for me and I still reap the benefits today.
P.S. If this goal sounds like something you want to try but don’t know where to start, I’d love to help! Fill out this form to learn more about my virtual fitness program complete with meal plans, all-level workouts, and a community to hold you accountable.
Don’t Keep Making The Same Resolution Over And Over Again
If your resolution was to lose 50lbs last year and it didn’t happen – don’t set the same exact goal. Dial it in a little more. Get more specific. Or better yet, create goals and resolutions that support the TYPE OF LIFESTYLE it would take to lose and sustain a loss of that kind of weight. I personally am not a big fan of weight loss resolutions. Totally okay, if that’s how you want to do it – but for me. I find it much more meaningful to develop the habits that will eventually LEAD to a specific health goal.
Talk About Your Goals & Resolutions With Family And Friends
This is important once you’ve established the goal, but it’s also important to talk things out when you’re still trying to identify your goal or goals. My husband and I sit down together every single year the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to establish a FAMILY GOAL LIST. This list usually includes financial goals, travel goals, marriage goals, and parenting goals. This list is usually a very specific list – meaning the items can actually be checked off. Instead of goals like [be more present as a family after school] our goal might be [family game night every Thursday night]. The goal to be present is WONDERFUL – but for us, we want our family goal list to be very specific because then it’s much easier for us to track & make sure we are making progress. Instead of a family goal to [pay off debt] we would set the goal to [pay off $X by March 31st, $X by June 30th, and $X by September 30th].
Be Sure To Have A Goal List Or Resolution That Is JUST FOR YOU
I am a HUGE fan of family goals. Obviously, see number 3. But, I feel so strongly that each PERSON should have their OWN PERSONAL goals. No one is going to challenge you to be a better version of yourself like you can. No one cares as much as you do. That’s the truth. We can’t expect our partner or our best friend to keep us on track with personal goals. So, whether your goal is specific to your business/career, your mindset, your time management, or your physical body – there is so much power in setting personal goals. Not to mention, when you are growing as a person, you are much more likely to seek growth in other areas like your marriage, or your friendships. It becomes sort of a cascading event. To all the moms, yes you are mama, and you are probably wife first – all of that is crucial, but take the time to think about PERSONAL goals that are just for you too. Trust me, everyone benefits from your growth!
As You Brainstorm, Start Writing Everything Down In The Same Place, Then Pick Your Main Ones
You want to put these on paper. Our family goals usually end up being about 10-20 specific things. For my personal goals or resolution – I like to keep it to 1-3 max. I don’t feel you can really execute on more than that effectively at one time. Starting “small” is actually a good thing – because then, you start to HABIT STACK. I’ll teach you more about that later. Write your main thing[s] down in one spot. For me, it’s my planner – because I see it daily. With every NEW month – I carry over my main focus and write it down in that month’s planning pages. Maybe for you, it goes on a sticky note on your computer. Maybe it goes on the wallpaper of your phone. Just make sure you put pen to paper when brainstorming & then once you’ve decided on the THING you will focus on and work towards – put it somewhere so you will see it often! The daily REMINDER of your goal is incredibly important when trying to accomplish something or trying to build a new habit.
I hope this helps you find resolutions that are practical and sustainable. DM me on Insta if you have any questions or want to learn more. I LOVE chatting with ya’ll!
