By: Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS
January is full of post-holiday blues, back to work and school craziness, and all the New Year’s Resolutions. Everyone is looking for a way to reset, re-energize, and get back to feeling their best. As we all know, Resolutions are not only hard habits to maintain, but to come up with in general. Here are three things to keep in mind so that you can develop well thought out and achievable goals!
Make Them Feasible
One of the most important qualities of a New Year’s Resolution is the practicality of the goal. How much time, energy, and even money needs to be spent to make this goal a reality? What time of day should this goal be scheduled to have the most success? How will a job, children, or other duties impact the likelihood of this goal getting completed? Asking yourself the right questions before you name and start the goal will help set up a plan for success.
Make Sure They Are Rooted in Your Values
Values play a large role in the work I do with clients and should also be present in New Year’s Resolutions. I encourage folks to come up with five solid values for what feels most important in their everyday life. These may range from the big ones like respect and loyalty to health and humor. If the goal is to exercise more, than this goal would be rooted in respect by respecting your body and also health for helping improve your overall wellbeing. If the goal is to do more of a hobby, make sure this is connected to what’s important to you in your everyday life, otherwise this may fall to the backburner.
Find an Accountability Buddy
Having a partner to help complete a New Year’s Resolution is one of the best ways to be successful. An obvious but popular goal may be to exercise more. Having someone to encourage, support, and connect while completing the goal is helpful and motivating. Not to mention, having a partner to exercise with is also a great way to have fun and get some social time in. This is equally important in today’s climate as many are working from home and lacking in person, face to face time. Here is more information on having an accountability partner.
Don’t Be Afraid to Reach out For Professional Support
Remember, therapists are not only skilled at treating mental health issues. We are also well-versed in helping our clients engage in healthy decision-making and goal-setting. If the idea of making changes that will stick overwhelms you, were are here to help.
Give Yourself Grace
That’s it. Just be kind to yourself. Healthy habits start with a healthy mindset. If you are kind you yourself through this journey, you are more likely to stick to your goals.