by Margaret Lee, LMSW
Did you know both January 10th and February 1st are both considered Quitter’s Day? By February 1st 68% of people have abandoned their New Year’s resolutions. Why do we give up so quickly on changes we really want to make?
When setting New Year’s resolutions, we often come up with big ideas of what we want to achieve in the new year hitting the ground running with excitement and motivation. However, as time passes, we start to feel exhausted by these new routines or big lifestyle changes causing us to feel overwhelmed and to push our goals to the wayside.
As a Social Worker, I know that setting goals can be a great tool for making changes. Goal setting helps us focus and be persistent; it enhances our wellbeing, increases our autonomy and self-determination, and has positive psychological effects, such as decreasing stress.
So how can we stick to our goals? Here are two strategies that have helped me:
Finding Your Why
To “find your why,” ask yourself why a certain goal is important to you. For example, your goal could be to go on a walk every day this year. Ask yourself why this is important. Your reason could be, “because I want to work on my mobility and strength.” Then ask yourself why this is important to you. The answer may be “Because better mobility and strength will help me maintain my independence. Again, why? “Staying independent is important to me so I can do the things I enjoy like playing games with my grandchild.” Continue to ask yourself “why” until you feel satisfied with your answer. Understanding your deeper motivation can help you stay committed to your goals.
Using the Acronym SMART
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This framework helps us to be more specific in our goal setting. For example, instead of “I want to take better care of my health this year,” a SMART goal would be “This year my goal is to establish care with a primary care physician by March.” This goal is specific, measurable by time, achievable, relevant to your health priorities, and time bound as there is an end date. When using SMART, it’s also helpful to identify if your goals are short-term or long-term goals. Some goals take more time to complete than others and that is okay. Breaking down long-term goals into short term steps helps us stay on track.
If you are one of the many people who have already given up or forgotten about your New Year’s goals, take some time to reflect on your original goals and why they were important to you. Can you reframe your plan to complete those goals by using SMART? If you skipped a few days, or even weeks, give yourself some grace, reassess and begin again. Remember progress is about NOT about perfection, but persistence.
If you would like support, please reach out – we are here for you!
Learn more by visiting cjfsbham.org/our-mission/professional-counseling, emailing jfs@cjfsbham.org, or calling 205.879.3438. Professional counseling from CJFS is confidential, and it is often covered by insurance.
