Who has a resolution for 2014? According Forbes Magazine, only about 8% of people achieve their New Year's resolutions every year! The key to making a resolutions that lasts is to make goals that are possible to for you to achieve. Your best friend's goal may not be realistic for you. When setting goals, follow the SMART guidelines to set a goal that you can follow through with.
S - Specific. You want your goal to be very specific so that you are able to track your progress. For example, a common goal is to "exercise more." Is that specific? No. An example of a more specific exercise goal would be "To walk 2 miles per day, 3 days per week for 1 month."
M - Measurable. How are you going to measure if you were successful in reaching your goal? Making a specific, rather than a broad goal usually lends itself to easier measurement. Your specific goal for walking is easier to measure than your general goal of "exercise more." For your walking goal (above) you could measure by keeping a log or using a pedometer, for example. Measuring your goal is a way to assess your commitment and results.
A - Achievable. Of course we are all capable of anything we commit to, but occasionally it is important to think about if you can actually achieve your goal in the time frame you have set for yourself. If you are scheduled for knee surgery in January and your physical activity goal (above) was set to be reached by March, maybe you should reevaluate when you can realistically meet your walking goal.
R - Realistic or Relevant. Either realistic or relevant work here. Of course, you want your goal to be realistic. If you do zero physical activity currently, completing in The Iron Man would probably not be a realistic goal for the new year (of course, depending on the time frame you set for yoursefl). Relevance is also important. If you do not care about competing in The Iron Man, why would you set that as your goal? Because your sister or best friend did? Always choose a goal that matches something relevant and important to you.
T - Time Bound. Give yourself a time frame. If your boss gave you a big, time consuming project that you did not want to do and said "I do not care when you complete it" how long would it be before you got around to it? A goal without a deadline may never be completed. Always give yourself deadlines!
No matter your resolution this year, follow the SMART goal guidelines to make it stick!
Resources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2013/01/01/just-8-of-people-achieve-their-new-years-resolutions-heres-how-they-did-it/
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