2024 is almost here! Each new year brings an exciting opportunity for a fresh start, and New Year’s resolutions are a great way to improve our lives by inspiring us to strive for positive change. However, many of us set lofty and unrealistic resolutions that can lead to frustration and self-doubt when left unmet.
This new year, set yourself up for success with realistic resolutions that keep your mental wellbeing in mind.
Define What’s Realistic For You
Rather than jumping into creating huge goals for yourself right off the bat, it’s important to reflect on the past year through a positive lens, celebrating wins throughout the year. In what ways did you improve last year? How have your values changed? When were you most proud of yourself over the course of the past year? When did you feel your best? What times brought you the most joy?
Reflecting on these questions can help us define areas of our lives that could use improvement, while also focusing on what went well over the past year—and how we can incorporate that into the year to come.
Being optimistic coming into the new year creates positive momentum that can help us achieve our goals.
Challenge yourself while also honoring your limitations. Creating unrealistic goals is a sure-fire way to lead to disappointment. Contrary to popular belief, it’s okay to not “shoot for the stars.” In order to create resolutions that will positively affect our mental health and contribute to our wellbeing, they should also be achievable and take our limitations into mind. This may include physical limitations, mental health limitations, financial limitations, resource limitations and time limitations. Rather than pretending these limitations don’t exist, create resolutions that accommodate your reality.
Set SMART Goals
One tried and true way for creating healthy and doable goals is by using the SMART goals method. “SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
The SMART Method:
1. Specific
- Specific goals—as opposed to broad or vague goals—clearly define what it is you want to achieve.
- Important questions to ask when coming up with the “S” portion of your goal include: “What needs to be accomplished?” “Who is responsible for completing the goal?” “What steps need to be taken to achieve this goal?”
- Example: A specific goal vs. a non-specific goal would be making the goal of going on a walk for 30 minutes a day, rather than setting a broad goal to walk more.
2. Measurable
- After creating specific parameters for your goal, figure out how to measure your progress.
- Example: You set a goal to save $1,500 in a year. That means that each month, you need to save $125 to reach your goal. You can further break this number down by saving $31.25 per week (assuming, for example sake, there are 4 weeks in a month). Each week, count your savings, and once again, count your total savings at the end of the month. To track your progress, create a spreadsheet for each week, month, etc.
3. Achievable
- Goals should challenge you to grow or improve, while also being realistic. Ask yourself if your goal is something you can actually accomplish.
- Example: It’s probably not achievable to become a famous author in a year, however setting the goal to improve your writing skills is.
4. Relevant
- Think about the bigger picture around why you’re setting this goal. Make sure the goal is important to your values, dreams and desires. If you set a random goal that isn’t related to something you actually care about, you probably won’t be motivated to accomplish it.
- Example: If you set a goal to become a famous equestrian, but you are allergic to horses and hate riding them, then that goal isn’t relevant.
5. Timely
- Choose a specific timeline for accomplishing your goal to help create a sense of urgency and prevent procrastination. This also helps you clearly picture accomplishing your goal which will help motivate you to get to the finish line.
- Example: If you want to learn Italian, set a goal to spend an hour per day learning Italian for the next six months.
Start Small
Once you’ve decided on your New Year’s resolution and have broken this resolution down into a SMART goal (or goals), you can establish routines that will help you achieve your goals and monitor your progress.
Make a plan to incorporate the steps needed to incorporate your resolutions into your everyday routine. Using to-do lists, journaling or using a planner can all help you track your progress and remind you of your goals. Break down your goals into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Focus on one goal, step or resolution at a time before moving on to the next one, because taking on too much at once can lead to overwhelm and burnout.
If you’ve set multiple goals for yourself, prioritize each one by your needs, realistic timelines and how important each is to you.
Embrace The Journey
Let others know your goals so they can both hold you accountable for them, and support you on your journey. Healthcare providers—such as your therapist—can help you with your goals, resolutions and overall self-improvement.
Hold yourself accountable, but also be patient with yourself and readjust your goals, priorities and timelines as needed.
Seek extra help and resources as needed as well. If you make a mistake or face setbacks during your journey, give yourself grace and be patient with yourself. Focus on all the great things that have accomplished so far, and adjust goals as needed. If you feel like you need to quit, instead take a break and make a plan to get back on track afterward.
Reward yourself for accomplishing smaller steps to achieving your primary goal, as well as reward yourself when completing your larger goal.
Remember: Change is a process and setbacks aren’t permanent. Keep moving forward one step at a time.
For more mental health support, Valera Health offers virtual individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatry and medication management from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://www.valerahealth.com/consult-today/ or click here to speak to a Health Connector who can help match you with a provider tailored to you.