Realistic Goal Setting for the New Year

It’s that time of year that we are inundated with gym membership commercials, miracle pills that melt fat away and financial gurus promising to get us out of debt. Advertisers are playing on our emotions and banking on us wanting to begin 2020 with new goals/resolutions. Most people that make new year’s resolutions target exercise, losing weight and handling money better as their main goals. Do you typically make new year’s resolutions? Do you stick with them? It’s exciting to think that when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st we can immediately change our lives for the better! But, do we?

Researchers say about 60 percent of us make New Year’s resolutions but only about 8 percent are successful in achieving them. That’s not very impressive. And, about three weeks into January, most of us give up on our goals. What?? That is REALLY not impressive. I would have thought we’d at least stick to our goals for a couple of months.

The number one reason why our new year’s resolutions fail is that we set our goals so high they are not attainable. Are you guilty of this? Sure, some of us would like to lose 30 pounds next year. Wouldn’t it be better to target ten at a time though? There’s no steadfast rule that you cannot adjust your goals as you go along. Your ability to succeed will greatly increase if you set the bar at an achievable level.

For example, if you’ve amassed debt over the past twelve years, do you really think you will be capable of eliminating it all in one year’s time? Probably not; but, you most certainly can eliminate a portion of it. Success will spur you on so making smaller, attainable goals can give you a sense of accomplishment and the confidence to keep moving towards your goals.

Goal setting can be tricky. You need to clearly think about what is important to you and understand why you feel the need to set a particular goal. What impact will it have on your life? Why is this goal important to you? Uncertainty about your goals can lead to the indifference that can kill your motivation. Clarifying your goals is probably more important than setting them. Goals need to be specific. Saving more money in 2020 is too general. Saving 5% of each paycheck gives you a much better chance of success.

Establishing too many goals can overwhelm you. That age-old saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is something you should be conscious of when setting your goals. Your goals will involve changes that, in some cases, can be very challenging. If your goals are too taxing on your daily activities you will be more inclined to let them slip. That’s why it is so important to set realistic goals. The last thing you need is to have to seek a psychologist because your goals are so stressful you cannot manage your life. That would be a bit counter-productive, don’t you think?

I am a big believer in parsing your overall goal into smaller “chunks” so that you know you are tracking to achieve your overall goals. For example, if you set a goal of walking two miles every other day and you’ve done it for a complete month, reward yourself. Maybe a nice foot massage or pedicure for those trusty feet would do you well. It’s important to celebrate your “victories.” It will help keep you motivated.

I wish you the best of luck in setting your goals for next year. I know I want to enjoy more sunsets at the beach, manage our finances better and eat healthier but I am still formulating my game plan for 2020. I am taking my own advice and being specific and realistic in my pursuits. I know it won’t be easy but nothing ever is that is truly worth it. Right?

P.S. The miracle pill that melts away fat doesn’t work. I tried that last year…