Do you set goals for the new year? If so, what type of goals do you set? Do you set one? Two? Three or more? Do you seem to set the same goals year after year?
Some people—me included, in past years— like to begin the new year with a list of specific goals—their New Year’s Resolutions, and then they wait until the morning of January first to begin working on those goals.
But, why do we feel like we need to wait until 12:01 AM on January 1st to begin? Is there something magical about that date and time? I know the new year often feels like a fresh start, and I totally get that. Because it is. New Year’s day gives us a whole new 365 days to accomplish the things we want to accomplish. I also know from my years of working with people to achieve their health + fitness goals that, often, the same New Year’s resolutions are on that list year after year after year. They just can’t seem to make the year-long jump (or longer) from start to finish on their goals. I’ve experienced that same things, and we are not alone. One study found that only 9% of new year’s goal setters were successful in achieving their goals. N-I-N-E percent.
Many people who have had this struggle in years past might think that “this time” (this year) things will be different. That they’ll achieve this goal “this time.” That on January 1st and beyond their schedules will automatically have space that they didn’t have today or even this year or in past years to work on their goals. I know I’ve fallen into this mindset before, and for me, that never happens. If anything, each year gets busier.
What if instead of setting specific New Year’s Resolutions to begin on January 1st, we started working on our goals today. That would give us a 32-day head start on working towards what we want to accomplish, and it would take that “New Year” pressure off of ourselves and off of the year. We’d wake up on January 1st with several days of success already under our belts. What a great way to start a new year! And even if you begin any day before January 1st, you’re that many days ahead!
One thing that’s been successful for me the past 14 months is working on habits that will lead me to achieving my goals. These habits are super small, which makes it much easier for me to check them off my habit tracker (here’s the one I use) day after day, week after week, month after month. And it’s been so fun to see how these small habits, completed one-by-one day after day, have lead to some amazing progress on my goals!
Want to learn more about habits + goals? Go here.
I know I’ll continue some of my current habits into the new year because they’ve worked so well for me and those goals I’m working on. I do have one goal that I haven’t made much progress on, so I’m going to figure out a way to do better at that one in 2023…beginning today! I’m not going to wait to begin until January 1st this time like I have in years past.
What do you want to accomplish in the new year? What’s one small habit you can create that you can do every day to move you closer to that goal…starting today or in the next few days? Please share it a comment below because I’d love to cheer you on!
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