We made it through another year! While January 1st is really just another day, to most of us it represents hope and a chance to start anew. No matter what the past has brought us, a new year is a chance to keep reaching higher or even start over completely.
The new year is a perfect time to check in with ourselves, set goals and inspire ourselves to grow and reach new heights.
I LOVE me some goal setting, so this is one of my favorite times of year (I also love champaign so…). As I sit down and plan ways to inspire myself in 2019, I thought you all might want to join me.
So let me give you some of my best goal setting tips so you can have an awesome and SAVAGE 2019!
Pick one goal and get specific. If you have a few goals, make sure to keep them separate and have a plan for each one. For example, one of my client’s new years resolutions are 1. Hug my family more. 2. Eat Healthier and 3. Get into a regular workout routine. Those are awesome goals! But very vague and easy to forget so get specific so we can make a plan. Find milestones you can celebrate and check in on your progress. Trying to get more active? Find small goals that keep you working toward a more active lifestyle: do 5 chin ups or 10 push ups, learn a cartwheel - challenge yourself in a fun and concrete way. Pick something attainable and exciting for you. And once you reach it, add a new one!
Quantify your goal. That’s right! "Get healthy" is a great goal! But what does that mean to you? How will you know once you’ve “gotten healthy?” What are some milestones we can work toward and celebrate? Let’s look at my client’s list. I like #1. “Hug my family more.” To me, what this says he is really looking for is to be more mindful and present. So I like the hugs but we still need something more tangible. How about: give 3 big hugs to each family member every day. Sounds silly to quantify something like this, but we’re trying to create a habit. With those hugs come the mindfulness he is looking for. As he stops to consider what he wants in his family time, he is choosing to be present in this moment. Boom! As he settles in to this habit, new routines and goals will emerge and he'll be feeling like a champ!
Decide on a timeline and if the goal is big, break it up into smaller goals (while keeping sight of the larger goal). Weight loss, for example - 10lbs is a realistic amount to lose and sustain in about 2 months. Give yourself 6 months for 20 -30 lbs and a year for 40 - 60 lbs.
Keep in mind that goals are fluid. Nothing is set in stone and you are not meant to know exactly what will happen in life. So as you work toward a goal, check in often - at least once a month - and ask yourself how it’s going. If it’s stressing you out or you feel like you won’t meet the goal or the timing you had planned, CHANGE IT. That’s right! Change the goal so you WILL be successful. Not working out 5x a week like you had told yourself you would? Don’t feel guilty and throw in the towel, change the goal. Add to it slowly until you get to where you want it to be! Which leads me to my next point:
Set the bar low. I’m serious! Don’t dive in and say “Now I will never eat sugar.” Or, “I will start working out 5 days a week.” That won’t work and if it does - it won’t last long enough to become a habit. Start small. Want to quit sugar? Figure out where you are having trouble. Maybe it’s the mid afternoon energy dip or those morning caramel double macchiato crunch lattes. If you’re cringing to give it up, cut whatever you’re already doing in half. Or by a quarter, even. Get one or two less pumps of flavor and once that feels like routine, cut it back again until you are ready to give it up completely. If you never work out and now want to start getting regular, set. the bar. low. Challenge yourself to one long walk and one fitness class a week. Or try to get 5 minutes of activity in every day. Don't go all in on anything right away!
So there you go! Just a few of my very favorite goal setting tips to help you crush your goals in 2019! 2018 sure went by quickly, don't you think? Imagine it’s now December 2019 and you’re reflecting back on the year. You are full of energy and joy and so proud of the commitment you made to yourself.