Creating Simple Goals For The New Year!

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Simple Goals for the new year

The New Year is here!  Yay!  Insert New Years dance!  Where did 2017 even go?!  

I’m always asking myself: what can I do differently in the new year?  Of course I turn to my phone for inspiration 🙂 where New Year’s Resolutions abound on social media. Things like weightloss, membership to gym, eating healthier, exercising more, start couponing, start a savings account, start yoga, take more trips, quit smoking, less swearing, pay off credit cards, call mom more often. There’s also the thing about choosing a word for your year  “Intention”, “Joy”, “Get-Caught-Up-On-Laundry” sorry, just me?

Hey, whatever your goal is, sometimes it’s tough to stick to it.  And it can start to feel like pressure to have a resolution, or a meaningful word. I’m not against either, but do you ever feel like, once off to a great start, after a while, the excitement and motivation fades off?

For me, it’s at the gym.  I haven’t been to the gym since before I had my two under two.  I know I need to go.  It gives me more energy, helps me look better physically, mentally and emotionally, eat healthier, and it is something I need to do for myself….But I can’t seem to get out of the house everyday! Why is that?!  The hardest step is always the fist step. So this year I’m trying to set manageable goals, and stay committed. Here’s how I’m going about it: 

 5 simple steps for creating New Years goals:

  1. Write down goals.  Actually write them down on paper and put it on your fridge, chalkboard, or bathroom mirror.  Somewhere you will see them everyday staring at you in the face.
  2. Be realistic.  If you wanna lose 100 pounds in two weeks, that is going to be extremely challenging and near impossible.  I break my big goals down to smaller goals.  And once I reach those smaller goals, reward! Celebrating even small success is an important part of the equation for me. If you reached a milestone,  you should be proud of yourself.
  3. Stay accountable.  Tell people! Have your spouse, friend, child, someone keep you accountable and for your goals.  Keep your eye on the prize! It’s not to late to start this now, even after Jan. 1. 
  4. When you feel down, remind your self why you’re doing it.  Some days may be harder than others.  Some days it’s easy to forget why you’re doing it.  But digging down deep for the real genuine reason you are doing it, will help you stay focused to your ultimate goal.  
  5. Don’t give up. I can definitely say I’ve quit at something in the past and it didn’t make me feel very good knowing I just gave up.  You’ll thank yourself later.  Don’t give up! And if you do fall off the wagon, remember that’s ok too. Every day is a chance to get back at it and start again. Give yourself grace, and keep working at it. You can do it. 

Are you making New Years Resolutions this year?  Setting goals or choosing words? Share them in the comments, we’d love to hear!