How to keep and follow your New Yearâs resolutions
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
Many of us create goals every yearâresolutions to improve our lives and ourselves. These resolutions come in many different variations; they may be related to our schooling or jobs, focus on self-growth and/or acceptance, or be delegated towards a specific task. A common problem with making these goals is simply that theyâre difficult to keep track of and follow through on. A few weeks into 2016, and our resolutions are forgotten and abandoned. Thereâs no self-improvement, and we go through the year letting ourselves down by not accomplishing the goals we envisioned.
Ultimately, the power to make and keep goals comes from within us. By successful planning, evaluation, and execution, it is possible to meet or even exceed our own expectations about what we wanted. Itâs all about keeping perspective and realizing our exact intentions.
The S.M.A.R.T. model is a popular method when it comes to accomplishing goals, and itâs taught everywhere from elementary schools to corporate offices. It involves five aspects of setting a goal: it must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based. One of the most common reasons a resolution isnât kept is that it isnât planned out properly enoughâitâs important to figure out exactly what is desired from each component.
A popular New Yearâs resolution is to exercise more. âTo exercise moreâ is not a viable goal in itself, and thereâs no real reason to keep it. If your goal is to exercise more, use the S.M.A.R.T. criteria to break the resolution down further.
Specific: Does âexercising moreâ mean going to the gym three times a week? Going for jogs twice a week? Signing up for a class at the gym or at school?
Measurable: How will you know when youâre exercising more? Are you keeping track of what days you exercise now and when you will in the future? What results are you hoping to notice (weight loss, a larger bicep, a general feeling of being healthier?)
Achievable: What factors limit you from exercising? Does school and/or your job take up all your time? Do you have regular access to a gym and proper shoes and clothes to exercise in? Consider what is needed to achieve your goal, and make sure youâre able to actually go through with it. It may sound silly, but many goals fail because itâs impossible to achieve them under a personâs circumstances.
Realistic: What do you want from exercising more? You may not be able to lose 20 pounds in a month, or suddenly bench press 50 pounds extra.
Time-based: A goal does not go from not starting to being completely finished. Realizing how long it will take, and what steps can be taken along the way, will really help towards getting them done. If your desire is to go to the gym regularly, consider setting up a goal like âBy the end of January, I will have a gym membership and have gone twice.â Goal time can be adjusted at any point, but having a specific timeline is essential for letting them not drift off.
