According to a recent Forbes survey, 65% of New Year’s resolutions don’t last four months. Setting intentions at the beginning of the calendar year can often be taken on as a box-checking duty instead of a focused means for growth. How can we reclaim this initiative and accomplish our goals throughout the entire year? Luckily, a lot of study has been done on this subject. As a business dedicated to growth through fun, Group Dynamix recommends establishing the “why” before making SMART goals.
Beyond Resolutions: Crafting Meaningful New Year Goals
A popular way of effectively setting goals is to make them SMART, that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. While much has been written on this buzzy acronym, it is first important to look into why you want to make a goal in the first place. This is more related to ‘Relevant’ in the SMART acronym than anything else. Are you making a goal because you want to be a better version of yourself? Or because people expect you to at this time of year? Most of the time people make goals because they want to grow. It is important to establish that your goals will help you accomplish the “good life” in a broader sense, or else you will easily lose motivation to accomplish them. Next, you will have to ask yourself what the good life looks like for you. Maybe there are areas in your life you’d like to improve. Many people take the beginning of the year to intentionally get more in shape. Some dedicate themselves to learning a new skill, increasing mental health, or making a career change. These are all admirable goals, but only as much as they address real issues in your own life. Write your ‘why’ down for greater dedication: “My New Year’s Resolution is to _____ because _____.” Understanding why you are making a goal is your first step in committing to the task. After all, motivation never lasts as long as dedication, and dedication needs a solid foundation. If there is no ‘why’ behind your goal, you can’t expect to keep up with it very long.
Decoding the Art of Setting and Sustaining New Year Goals
Let’s start with an example and make it SMART. Perhaps you notice you spend too much time on your phone. Maybe you even have your ‘why’ in place: it’s making you more distracted. Great, now you have a general direction with which to build your goal. But consider the following goal: “Spend less time on my phone because it’s too distracting.” Not great. How are you going to achieve this goal? How will you even know if you’ve achieved it? After writing down your “why” and looking at your screen time in your settings, you might come up with a SMART goal like this: “Go from five hours of daily screen time to 3.5 hours by June 1, and maintain 3.5 hours through the rest of the year.”
Unveiling the Secrets to Lasting New Year Resolutions
At Group Dynamix we like to go a step further and go deeper. Experts say when you remove a habit, you will have to replace it with another, otherwise you will be fighting an uphill battle. What will you do with your free time you just reclaimed from scrolling? Perhaps there is a hobby you have been wanting to further develop. What will you do when you want to reach for your phone? We don’t recommend electroshock therapy. When the goal becomes difficult, return to your ‘why’ and put in place other practices that build out your goals. That way you can build guardrails that keep you on the path toward success.
Elevating Your Goal Setting Game: A Guide to SMART New Year Resolutions
When considering your goals, it’s easy to choose low hanging fruit that many other people might choose. If you have the same goal as others, that’s totally fine, but ask yourself whether this is your goal because it’s legitimately important to you or if you just want to hop on the resolution bandwagon. Probably the most important question to ask yourself when choosing your goals is “what type of person do I want to be?” Then you can build out your ‘why,’ make it SMART, and put other small practices in place that reinforce your initial goal. All of this will help you ultimately move you towards your desired life.
