You’re probably in the midst of the holiday frenzy right now – attending parties, baking treats, shopping for gifts, and enjoying your children’s holiday performances. If you’re like most, you might be indulging a bit more than usual in festive foods and going overboard on holiday spending.
Many of us tend to kick off the New Year with resolutions like losing weight or improving our financial situations, such as saving more or reducing debt. However, keeping to these promises often proves challenging, and by the end of January, most of us have already strayed from our initial goals. We often expect that the turn of the calendar year can instantaneously spark massive habit changes – and, unsurprisingly, this approach often ends in disappointment.
This year, I suggest taking a different approach.
In the past year, the concept of S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals has gained popularity across blogs. It’s an excellent method, but if it hasn’t worked for you in the past, I have a different strategy.
Instead of overloading yourself with numerous goals, choose four specific ones. Let’s say one of your objectives is weight loss. Instead of setting an ambiguous goal like “I’ll lose 25 pounds this year,” aim for a more actionable goal like “I’ll consume at least five fruits and vegetables daily.”
Another weight-related goal could be minimizing your intake of junk food. You might decide, “I’ll restrict my junk food consumption to once a week.”
Similarly, you can set financial goals. If credit card debt is a concern, pledge to increase your payments by an additional $100 monthly or whatever you can comfortably manage. You might also decide to stop using your credit card while repaying your debt and switch to cash or a debit card.
Those are already four goals. Instead of diving headfirst into January 1st, attempting to achieve all four at once, take a gentler, slower approach. This isn’t a sprint, and the key is to accomplish your objectives, not rush through them.
Perhaps you start by focusing on including five fruits and vegetables in your daily diet for the first three months. According to studies, it takes an average of 66 days to establish a new behavior, depending on its complexity.
By April 1st, you should have mastered your first resolution, which you can now maintain while focusing on your next goal, like reducing your junk food intake. Come July 1st and October 1st, you can phase in your next goals respectively. This incremental approach alters your life one quarter at a time. As you adopt manageable changes gradually, you’ll find yourself looking back with pride at year’s end, celebrating the personal progress made.
