How To Properly Set Goals For The New Year

Ready to make your New Year’s resolutions stick? This post has tips and advice for setting achievable goals and following through on them in the new year.

With 2021 slowly approaching, it’s a great time to start setting your new year goals and resolutions. For many people, the new year is the perfect time for starting over, creating something new, or even recommitting to old tasks. I’ll admit that I sometimes detour from my yearly goals because they become too difficult to achieve or I become unmotivated. But I’m not the only one. 

Many people struggle to stick with their New Year goals because they’re unrealistic; they become unmotivated, forget them..etc. So, today, I will talk about how to set goals for the new year and what you can do to ensure that you stand by them throughout 2022. 

Before setting goals for the new year, let’s discuss the difference between goals and resolutions. 

Goals VS Resolutions

One word always comes to mind about the new year: resolutions. So you may ask your friends or coworkers, “What are your resolutions for next year?” Most people respond with things like losing weight, being healthier, saving money, or something related to their personal life, like having children or marriage. 

Before setting new year goals, it’s essential to understand the difference between goals and resolutions. While the two may be similar, they are very different. Resolutions are vague intentions you want to achieve in the long run. However, goals are specific and measurable steps to reach those intentions. 

For example, if your new year resolves to drink more water. Then your Goal might be to drink a gallon of water daily and hold yourself accountable with a digital tracker and a gallon water jug. Do you see what I mean? 

Now that we know the difference between resolutions and goals let’s talk about how to set goals for the new year. 

How To Set Goals For The New Year

Start With The Resolution

Before doing anything, you need to want to achieve something. That is where creating a resolution comes in. Remember that resolutions are vague intentions you want to accomplish in the future. You don’t have to worry about making a specific plan at this moment because that comes at a later time. 

Try to devise one to three resolutions you want to focus on and write them down somewhere you won’t forget them. This will help you set reasonable New Year goals in the next few steps.

Turn The Resolutions Into Specific Statements

It’s time to turn your resolutions into specific goals that you can measure throughout the year. A measurable goal is anything that can be easily tracked or monitored at any time. Below are some examples of quantifiable goals using common New Year resolutions

The Resolution: I want to lose weight

The Goal: I want to lose 2 lbs every week by exercising 3x a week. 

The Resolution: I want to save money

I aim to save $25 from each paycheck and put it into my savings account. 

When it comes to creating measurable goals, you want to be as specific as you possibly can. This will help you see the bigger picture and the steps you can take to reach those goals. 

Ready to make your New Year's resolutions stick? This post has tips and advice for setting achievable goals and following through on them in the new year. Share on X

Be Reasonable

One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals for the new year, including myself, is that they are not realistic and reasonable. I get it. We want to do everything and achieve everything with as little effort as possible. However, you cannot reach your goals if they are always impossible. 

If you read that and thought, “Well, nothing is impossible,” then you’re wrong. Humans are limited to time and physical constraints, so your goals must fit within your capabilities. 

For example, you cannot lose over 50 lbs in 30 days. I don’t care what the television commercials are telling you. That’s not true. You might lose about 5-15 kg, but not 50 lbs. Striving for 50 will only set you up for disappointment and failure when you realize that you haven’t met that Goal, and this feeling goes with any goal, not just the ones related to weight. 

Instead, aim for something reasonable, like eating healthier and losing 10 lbs monthly. Setting a more reasonable goal will keep you motivated and help you feel better about yourself when setting future personal development goals.

Write It Down

After you’ve come up with a specific goal that is reasonable and can be measured throughout the year, then it’s time for you to write it down. Studies have shown that writing can significantly improve your memory and ability to retain information. 

Writing them down is essential if you’re serious about accomplishing your 2022 resolutions and new year goals. You must write them somewhere you can easily spot, like in your diary, class notebook, or on a whiteboard. Like using affirmations, if you repeat these goals to yourself every day and do at least one thing to work towards that Goal, you will be successful in no time. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes

Sometimes, you might run away from the problem when you make mistakes instead of facing it. Next year, don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way. You’re not perfect. Setting goals for the new year is challenging, especially if you’ve never done it. 

That’s okay. Making mistakes is part of the personal development and growth journey. The only way you’ll get better is to learn from something, am I right? Plus, these goals can be adjusted anytime, so you’ll always be able to work on your goal-setting skills. 

Why You Need To Set Goals & Resolutions For The New Year

Most people think that creating a new year resolution is enough. But they’re wrong. For people going through their self-improvement or personal development journeys, you should set resolutions and goals for the new year. Solutions help you get a broad sense of what you want to achieve and help you picture the future. 

However, goals give you the specific steps you must take to achieve those resolutions. When creating New Year goals, it’s always important never to base them on what someone else says or compare them to others. Everyone has different goals and things they want to accomplish, so keep that in mind when creating your plans for the new year. 

Did you find this helpful? What are your new year goals? Let me know in the comments.