New Year, New Goals

It may be cliché, but you can’t deny that the start of a new calendar year is the perfect opportunity to make some positive changes in your life, especially after the gluttony and decadence of the holiday season.

Resolutions don’t have to be ultra-mega-super-mind-blowingly-big-deals. They can be small changes, like drinking more water. However, when you’re setting a goal for yourself, try to utilize quantifiable or measurable outcomes. These kinds of goals have stronger and longer-lasting results. For example, instead of “I want to drink more water,” change the wording to “I want to drink _x_ glasses of water a day.” Use a quantity that makes sense to you and your current situation.

Going along with the quantifiable line of reasoning, try not to make all-or-nothing goals. Set smaller, more achievable goals on your journey towards the ultimate end goal. For example, let’s say your resolution is “I want to drink 8 glasses of water a day.” If you’re currently only drinking 1 glass of water a day, be reasonable and smart about achieving this goal. Don’t think you have to go from 1 glass to 8 glasses overnight. Try starting out by drinking 3 glasses of water for each day in January. In February, you can change your goals to better reflect your journey. Make your ultimate goal “By April, I want to be drinking 8 glasses of water a day.”

Hold yourself accountable. There are PLENTY of ways to keep track of your progress or to remind yourself to stick with your goals—your phone, a journal, post-it notes, a friend, etc. Find something that works for you and utilize it. If you’re technologically incompetent, don’t download an app—you won’t remember to use it or you won’t be able to figure it out in the first place. Vice versa, if you’re pretty much glued to your phone 24/7, don’t try carting a journal around with you, no matter HOW fancy the stationary is or how prettily your pen performs—you’ll end up resenting the extra weight in your bag and you might even leave it lying around somewhere because you’re not used to lugging it around. As a side note, my point stands if you’re wanting to start journaling more. A computer person should look to utilize an online blogging site or even a simple Word document—try to adapt your goals to your current lifestyle or situation and move on from there.

The most important thing to remember on your journey is DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP. There will be days that you’re short on your quota. You’re Human! (At least I hope the machines haven’t risen enough for a Terminator-style takeover.) Acknowledge your set back, dust yourself off, and get back on that horse, bucko!

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