Goal Setting vs. New Years Resolutions

Setting goals for the new year and writing them down has proven to be more effective for people than verbally committing to a resolution.  Over the years people make resolutions at the beginning of each new year. I’ve also made resolutions only with a disappointing outcome most of the time! To me resolutions mean making an effort to change something, and not necessarily changing it.

A few years ago, my husband and I decided to set goals for each new year which has produced significant results.  We don’t always reach all of our goals but we do reach several and HAVING THEM WRITTEN DOWN CREATES MAGIC! There is something magical about having your goals written, especially if you see them every day!  Post them on your mirror, on your wall at work, in your calendar, on your fridge, or anywhere you look every day.  Then watch the magic go to work!

Here are the areas in which we set our goals on New Year’s Eve.  Tweek them according to your life.

• Spiritual (spiritual classes, meditation, volunteering at church, going to church, praying, reading spiritual books , etc.)
• Social/Emotional (going out more often or less, gathering with groups, etc.)
• Mental (stress reduction exercises, meditation, etc.)
• Physical (losing/gaining weight, improving eating habits, running a marathon, 100 sit-ups daily , etc.)
• Wife/Spouse/Partner (things I can do to improve my relationship with my significant other, writing love notes to put in his luggage, do one thing every day that makes him feel loved like fluff his pillow every night, etc.)
• Mother (goals I can set in the role as “mother”, spend 30 minutes undivided time with each child each week, organize children’s keepsakes into storage containers, etc.)
• Friend (go out with girlfriend(s) at least once a month, call an old friend each month, etc.)
• Family (things I can do to improve my relationship with my parents, siblings, etc. like saying “I love you” each time I talk to them on the phone, going to a reunion this year, etc.)
• Financial (develop a spending plan ~ as opposed to a budget ~ and stick to it, reconcile my bank accounts weekly, pay my bills on time, save $XXXX, etc.)
• Career (start searching for a career I love and take the steps necessary to switch to it, ask for a raise, etc.)
• Living Environment (things I can do to improve my living space, clean out a closet a month, donate old clothes to charity twice this year, etc.)
• Service (volunteer work you’ve been putting off, any kind of community or church service, etc.)
• Things To Do (not yell at my kids, think before I react to them, reorganize my desk, file everything instead of putting into a “to be filed” stack, etc.)
• Things To Be (patient with my children, playful with my husband and kids, a better and more consistent cook, etc.)
• Things to Give Up (I think this one speaks for itself!)

So there you have a starter list of roles you possibly play in your life.  There may be others you can add, and some you can subtract.  Customize it for your life! And remember to post them where you’ll see them every day.

As the old cleche goes, “Don’t put off today what you can do tomorrow”.  Go for it and let us know if you have some ideas of how you have improved your life through goal setting.

Tagged as: goal setting, how to set goals, new years resolutions, resolutions