2023 Is Bringing In The New Goals

New Year has come and is in full swing. A lot of people look at the New Year as a time to start new goals because it is a new year, so why not start fresh? Many set goals and resolutions to start in the new year.

Sometimes they can be hard to maintain, and hard to manage. But it is beneficial if you stick to it. But that’s the tricky part is keeping that motivation and keeping working at your goals throughout the year. 

So to start things off, here is an article that I did about motivation and how to stay and keep motivated.

Resolutions VS Goals

These are very similar things, in fact most would argue that they are the same thing. In many ways they are, but they are just a little bit different. But that difference can make or break a lot of things.

Do you see the main difference? Goals are something we can REASONABLY accomplish. Many think that it’s a new year so it’s a new me. This isn’t that simple and requires a lot of hard work. 

And as defined goals are something that can be reasonably completed, whereas a lot of people set their resolutions as something that is going to take a lot more work. Think of goals as smaller tasks and resolutions as big, almost life changing tasks.

Some examples of resolutions are:

• Losing 100 pounds this year
• Taking new courses to expand my job

Some examples of goals are:

• Exercising more regularly – try and lose weight
• Taking a money management course

As you can see, goals (I find) tend to be a lot more specific and reasonable. And like I said, many would argue that they are the same thing. And in many ways they are, I just see that difference between the two, and that can be a doozy.

Why Have Goals?

Goals are important to have in our lives. They are something that keep us motivated to get things done. Even things for us to look forward to. Something for us to achieve. 

Having goals or something for us to complete allows us to get things done and feel that satisfaction of getting it done. They are things that we can work towards for ourselves and/or others. Those goals give us a drive, which keeps us going.

It can be hard to keep going some days or feel like doing anything for that matter. Having goals allows us to feel like we have something to accomplish. This in turn keeps us moving and working towards that goal and not just wallowing. 

Setting goals also increases the chances of getting that goal done. You can think ‘oh I’ll do this eventually’ all you want, but setting a goal that it has to be done (even a timeline) gives the ambition to actually get it done. Leaving us with our goal complete and a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. 

Goals, Goals, Goals

Think of goals like you would in a soccer game. They kick the ball into the net and get a goal, a point for their team. It is just the same with you. You set a goal, you accomplish that goal, and that is one point for you.

They can be anything you want them to be. Whether it’s something you want to add into your life or something that you are currently doing but want to expand on. 

After the first few times and excitement wears off, goals are going to feel like chores because they are something you aren’t used to and it just seems like work. But with some goals, after practicing it they become more habit than chore, and you don’t need to think twice about doing it.

As talked about, goals can be resolutions, bigger things you can do, but the number one way to actually achieve your goals is to make them reasonable so you can complete them. Plus, goals seem a lot less intimidating than resolutions, which also helps with the driving factor.

Setting Goals

Setting goals can be easy, but it can also be hard to do. Remember goals are something we can reasonably accomplish, especially if you are setting a timeline for it. 

Side note: goals are meant to help you get further than you are and get things done. They aren’t meant to cause too much stress and hardship. 

First Steps

The first step to setting a goal is to look at what you want to achieve. Make a list of all the things that you are wanting to complete or start this year or in the next few years, etc.

Some examples are:

• I want to exercise more
• Incorporate journaling into my life
• Save more money every pay cheque

This is just a list of the things that you would like to see change in your life. Not your actual goals… yet. 

The Next Step

Analyze your list from above and pick the ones that you are most serious about. The ones you really want to integrate into your life and see a change. 

The Last Step

Change that bullet point into a feasible goal. Making it instead of a want but an actual goal that can be checked off.

Examples:

• Exercise in some way 2 times per week
• Journal 1-2 times per week
• Put $100 into savings every pay cheque

Common Goals

In the goal setting world there are some common ones that everyone wants to change or incorporate into their lives.

Some examples are:

• Exercise more
• Drink more water
• Meditate
• Do more yoga
• Save money

Just because everyone does them doesn’t make them bad. They are just common goals that everyone wants to change for themselves. Things that everyone struggles with at one point or another.

The good thing about this is it creates a community of people that are all struggling and trying to fix the same problem. This allows for people to talk with others and get some ideas or bounce some ideas off of each other.

It also creates a cheerleading team amongst each other. Where everyone is trying to achieve the same things so they are cheering each other on.

Some Tips

Tailor Them To You

Tailor Them To You

The most important thing about setting goals is that it is something that will benefit you in some way, shape or form. 

They need to be tailored to you and what your goals are. Otherwise they are not going to work or you are going to resent working towards the end goal and therefore not get it done. 

Like if others are setting goals of exercising 4 times a week, but you realistically only have time for 2 times a week, you aren’t going to do what everyone else does. See, you will never accomplish the goal simply because you don’t have the time, and you won’t get the satisfaction of completing it. So you are gonna be frustrated and not want to do it anymore.

Start Small

Achieving goals can be hard to do especially if it is new to you or the goal itself is something new. So you don’t want to overwhelm yourself from the start because it won’t lead to anything actually getting done. 

For the first little bit you want to ease into it and do something small, like journal once a week. Then as that becomes habit and easier, you can add more to that specific goal and build it up to your ultimate end goal.

One To Start

Kind of like above, you want to ease into it. Start with one goal, then as that becomes easier, and more of a habit than a chore, start adding more goals. 

Again, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself by starting 5 different goals at once, then getting lost in the hubbub and not achieving anything. 

Make A Plan Of Action

Once you have a goal in mind it’s good to create a plan as to how you are going to accomplish that goal. You can wing it, but in many cases that leads to not working at it regularly and then not completing it.

So it’s good to create a plan as to how you are gonna tackle the goal you want to achieve. How you, yourself, are going to be able to check that goal off at the end. 

Remember, small steps lead to big results. That is the motto of goals and achievements in most aspects of life.

Here is a great article as to why small steps lead to big results.

But also know that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Just take it one step at a time, and don’t give up on yourself.