How to Make Real New Year’s Goals
Lessons learned and wisdom gained
Many of us are ready for a new year. 2020 is behind us and we are not sad about it! There are a lot of things we would like to leave behind from this past year, but there may also be some lessons learned and wisdom gained that we would like to carry into this new year as well.
January is often seen as the big “reset”. We are inundated with advertisements for decreasing weight, exercising more, reorganizing our homes and lives, and setting new goals. Choosing a “word of the year” is quite popular as well and while some of this may be inspiring, it can also feel old, exhausting, or out of reach.
It’s okay to NOT make resolutions
If you are looking for permission to NOT make new year’s resolutions, you have it! Goals can be made any time of year, on any day of the year. So let go of the pressure to reinvent yourself or make big plans this January. Maybe this past season of slowness taught you some important lessons about what you value and want most out of life. Change may not be what you need or want more of right now, and that is okay.
Focus on “why” and “how” of goal setting
However, if you love a good new year resolution or two, that’s also great, and I encourage you to choose your “why” and decide on your “how”. Goals tend to lose steam when they do not have the motivation, purpose, or structure to drive them. If you have made the choice to set goals for this year, take some time to ask yourself why you want those things and what the results will be once you attain them.
How will you know when you’ve reached your goal? Then, decide on some specifics of how you will make this happen. Here are some questions to get you started:
Does this goal align with what I value most in life?
Does the accomplishment of this goal set me free from something that is currently holding me back?
What kind of time commitment does this goal require and what specific changes or sacrifices need to be made to attain it?
Am I willing to make those sacrifices/are they worth the cost?
Are these my goals, or are they what society and media have told me they should be?
Check in with yourself
Before you set out to crush those new year resolutions, check in with yourself and make sure that your goals fit you. Health, success, and growth are important aspects of our lives, but what that means looks different for every person. It is no wonder that so many people give up on their new year resolutions by February, if those goals were never theirs in the first place!
Fight the pressure to jump on the latest diet, exercise or wellness plan. Instead, think about what will best fit you at your current stage of life. Do not forget that some seasons of life do not allow us the same capabilities as others. Maybe some goals need to be put on pause until we are no longer changing diapers and chasing toddlers, maybe some are better when we are not in the middle of a tough semester in school or taking care of aging parents. This does not mean they can never happen; this just means they need put on hold.
Take action on your goals
Once you have set your goals, jump in! There is no linear way to accomplish our goals and failure is actually one of the best teachers. If you get off track, learn what derailed you and get back on. Ask for accountability or wisdom from those you trust, and know that you can always make a change if things are not going well.
Sometimes there is a fine line between challenging ourselves and becoming overwhelmed. If you feel yourself becoming stressed, make a change! Your goals can be tweaked at any time because after all…they are yours!
About Two Roads Wellness Clinic
At Two Roads Wellness Clinic, we want to help you find the path that makes a difference in your life. We’re an integrative health clinic offering a vast array of services including, mental health treatments such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), expressive arts therapy, family therapy, medication management, primary care, integrative nutritional support including genetic nutritional counseling, life coaching, massage therapy, physical therapy, infrared sauna services, community education and outreach, and more.
The Two Roads Wellness Clinic team of therapists, medical and nutrition staff, massage therapists, life coaches, physical therapists, and emotional support animals are ready to help you find an integrated approach to your wellness. To schedule an appointment, visit our contact page, to get started at one of our convenient locations in Champaign, Danville, or Mahomet.