Forget resolutions, set goals this new year

Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year?

Was it the same one you made last year, or the year before?

If you’re the kind of person who always makes resolutions but never sticks with them, or maybe the kind that doesn’t bother at all, I’ve got news for you.

New Year’s resolutions may seem clichéd but this time of year is actually really important for getting clear on what you want out of life and setting realistic goals to make sure you achieve it.

You don’t want to get through another year and realise you didn’t manage to keep that resolution, again! That’s why you should learn how to set the best goals for YOU.

How to set SMART goals

It’s important to make sure your goals are SMART — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. This means:

• Specific — what exactly do you want to achieve? The more specific your description, the better the chance you’ll get exactly what you want. It’s the difference between ‘I want to exercise more’ and ‘I will go for a 30 minute walk 5 times a week’.
• Measureable — identify exactly what your goal will look like. Rather than ‘I want to lose weight’, try ‘I want to lose 3cm from my belly’ or ‘I want to fit into my favourite pair of jeans’. Remember, the scales don’t have all of the answers!
• Attainable — don’t set yourself up for failure! Make sure your goal is achievable or you’ll be doomed from the start. You also need to work out whether you’re able to invest the time, money and effort into reaching your goal.
• Relevant — what is your objective and will this goal help you achieve it? For instance, will flogging yourself at the gym make you happy? Or are you better off setting yourself the goal to walk 5 days a week?
• Timely — put a realistic time limit on your goal. Deadlines are an important part of goal-setting as they keep you accountable. If you’re a procrastinator, it might be worth having weekly goals that you can stick to rather than a deadline 3 months away.

The 4 pillars to a happy, healthy life

I firmly believe there are 4 pillars to a happy, healthy life:

• health
• finance
• relationships
• career

It’s important to set goals in each of these areas to ensure you’re not neglecting other areas of your life. There’s no point only concentrating on 1 or 2 areas, because this will inevitably lead to unhappiness in other areas of your life.

How to set goals you’ll actually achieve

1. Download our free goal setting template and write down your goals for each of the 4 areas.

2. If you don’t have any goals, write down things you’ve always wanted to do or achieve in each of the areas.

3. Go back and highlight the goals that are SMART and important to you to achieve this year.

4. Get specific about each of your goals — what exactly do you want to achieve, when do you want to achieve it and how will you know you’ve done it?

What are you waiting for? You’ve got the tools, now hop to it. Make 2020 your year!

Yours in health,

Peter