New Year, New You.

Nothing inspires change and turning over a new leaf the way that the beginning of a new year does. While I know there are many people that may roll their eyes and poke fun at those very much like myself that find joy in creating new year’s resolutions. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of the new year’s resolution. Many of the positive changes I’ve made in my life are courtesy of setting some pretty solid new year’s resolutions and sticking to them. Today I want to share with you my secret of how I can commit to and succeed at my new year goals and resolutions.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Planning

When it comes to creating and setting goals that you can and will achieve. The S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method is, in my opinion, the gold standard. Smart is an acronym for specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-based. This is the step by step formula that will move you through the smart goal planning method.

(1). Get Specific

When creating New Year’s resolutions the majority of people make the mistake of setting generic or general goals. These types of resolutions are not specific and are not focused. Stay away from resolutions such as “I am going to go to the gym more this year.” or “I want to travel more.” Replace these types of goals with “I am going to set aside money to travel to Greece this summer.” or “I will hire a personal trainer and get serious about my fitness.” Be very clear about what you are seeking to achieve, and this will lead you to become more committed and passionate about your goal.

(2). Measure Your Progress

Charting and tracking your progress is a way of creating accountability. You may choose to track your progress in a journal using a habit tracker. Or you can choose to get other people involved and enlist the help of trusted friends, family members or even joining a group of like-minded people such as an accountability group. Whichever option you choose make sure you are checking in on a regular basis, analyzing your progress and making decisions on how you can improve and move towards your goal.

(3). Action Based Steps

Coming up with an action plan and determining what you will need to do or what habits you will need to develop in order to achieve your goal is another important part of the goal planning process. Knowing what you will need to do in order to get from point A to point B will allow you to navigate and chart a course towards success. Also keeping in mind that these action steps will change as you progress and move closer towards achieving your goal. You will need to remember to continue leveling up as you grow and build the habits needed for success.

(4). Be Realistic

Keeping it real with yourself and not expecting something that you can not possibly do. While dreaming big and going for the seemingly impossible can be inspirational. In reality, creating or setting goals that are way too lofty or too unattainable for you can backfire and lead to failure. If you have a goal that is slightly out of your reach and something that you know that you will not be able to accomplish in 6 months. Try breaking that goal down into smaller more manageable chunks. Then aim to create and set goals that are just outside your current comfort level. You can always adjust and reframe your goal as you progress and move forward.

(5). Put A Time Limit On It

Have a specific and realistic time that your goal should be accomplished. In general six months is a good time period to set the majority of goals. This is long enough to allow you the time you need to make changes and progress. Yet it’s also short enough to give you room to grow, build and continue on with your journey.

 

Prioritizing Your Goals

A common mistake that is made when creating goals for the New Year is to try to overhaul and completely redo your life from the ground up. Having too many goals or working to create too many changes at once can actually lead to you becoming burnt out and incapable of achieving any of your goals. Instead of overwhelming yourself, seek to focus on 3 areas of your life that you are wanting to improve. How you prioritize these goals or decide to break them up is completely up to you. You can focus on one to two goals the first half of the year and then focus on the remaining goal the last half of the year. This is a better system to keep you actively working on improving yourself throughout the year and prevent you from becoming overwhelmed or bored.

Create A Gameplan

Similar to the Action-based steps portion of the S.M.A.R.T. goal planning method. You are deciding on how to create the healthy habits you need to achieve your goal for the year. If you’re determined to travel more you may want to spend time focusing on what time of year it would be best for you to travel. Also understanding your finances and setting aside money that will go specifically for travel. Knowing what places you want to visit first, how much tickets cost, as well as where you can score affordable fare and lodging would be important pieces of your gameplan. Basically, you are creating habits, routines, and the structure that you need to achieve your goals.

 

Remain Flexible

You can follow the steps above to perfection and have the most organized and structured action-based game plan known to man. Yet, life will still happen and knock you off your feet. So, you have to be prepared for the unexpected to happen. Remain open to the process and don’t get discouraged when things don’t work out the way that you expect them to or you experience a little hiccup in your journey. Take the opportunity to learn what you can from the situation, analyze, and review. Could there be changes that you need to make that will keep you moving in the right direction? Is there something that isn’t working and could you find a way to fix it so that it could work better? Be flexible and open to the fact that you might need to shift or change the course of your goal in order to be successful and achieve what you are setting out to achieve and that’s ok.

Enjoy the Journey

All new year’s resolutions are exciting and fun in the beginning but there will come a time during the year where you will be challenged and have to make a decision regarding how important it is for you to stick to that goal and see it through. Motivation and inspiration will only take you so far. Discipline and dedication are what will lead you to accomplish your goals and achieving all that you have set out to achieve for the year. Just focus on remaining authentic and honest with yourself throughout the journey. Don’t be scared to start over or switch up the plan if that’s what needs to happen. Also, know that it’s ok to change your mind about a goal or resolution and realize it’s not what you really want. It’s all a process and learning experience and you’re not locked into anything. Let happiness, peace, and well-being guide you. Here’s to a fabulous 2019 and to evolving and growing. Happy New Year!

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, my name is Kathleen but you can call me Kat. I am an Anti-Aging Coach and I am super passionate about empowering women. I encourage women like you to take charge of their feminine health and anti-aging wellness. You can accomplish this holistically and naturally by creating healthy habits with your nutrition, fitness, wellness, and beauty. I create awareness and provide educational content here on my blog, as well as  YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.  

My intention is to provide you with education and awareness about women’s health, nutrition, fitness, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle. I primarily help women that are seeking holistic and natural solutions to common feminine health and wellness issues. From infertility to inflammatory acne, from endometriosis to minimalism. I aim to arm you with the tools necessary to speak up and speak out about your issues until you get the answers and solutions you need. If you want to learn more about how you can redefine your health click here and schedule a FREE Discovery session with me and get empowered!