Happy New Year: Setting Effective Goals For 2022!

Every year, we set goals for the New Year hoping to achieve better things. Yet how many times have you set a New Year’s resolution just for it to fizzle out after January ends? If your resolutions rarely come to fruition, it’s time to rethink the way you create goals. 

As you set big goals for this year, make a solid plan so they become a reality. Increase your success with these tips on setting effective goals the right way.

Be Specific

What do you want to achieve? Get down to the nitty-gritty. Just saying you want to lose weight won’t cut it. Instead try: “I’d like to drop 20 pounds and be able to do at least 20 sit-ups in a row without passing out.” Look out for any roadblocks that could keep you from reaching your goal, and make a plan to knock them out of the way. 

Questions to ask yourself: Who does my goal involve? What am I trying to accomplish here? When and why do I want to make this goal happen?

Make Goals Measurable

Break your New Year’s goal setting into smaller tasks. Give yourself daily, weekly and monthly steps to take. Focus on those. And when you accomplish one, tackle the next one.

Questions to ask yourself: How long will it take to reach my goal? How do I know when I’ve reached my goal?

Give Goals a Time Limit

It’s important to set a time limit—because you need a finish line. Take that goal of yours, create a plan, and break it all the way down to daily activities. Then, give yourself a deadline. For example, you might say, “I want to move out by July 12^th, 2022.” To lose those 20 pounds by your deadline, figure out things like how many times you need to work out each week and how many calories you need to eat in a day. Then do what you can to hit that goal by your target date.

Questions to ask yourself: Do I have a deadline for reaching my goal? When will I hit this goal? How many times will I achieve this goal?

Goals Need to Be Yours

Let’s be honest—trying to go after someone else’s goals for your life never works out. Sure, your mom might want you to take night classes and switch careers. But it won’t happen unless you want it to. Why? Because working hard to win isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s tough. And you won’t have the drive to stick with it if you’re working toward a goal you’re not even passionate about.

The goals you set have to be your goals. When push comes to shove, you’re the one who has to fight to make them a reality.

Put Them in Writing

Something special happens when you write down specific goals. So get them down on paper, along with all the steps it’ll take for you to make them happen. Do I know the steps to reach my goal? Have I laid out a blueprint for how to get there? Having this perspective in mind makes it clearer for you.

Bottom line;

Don’t give up if you get off track. Life happens. We all know 2021 had its speed bumps and roadblocks—just like any year. And guess what? 2022 probably will too. That’s real life. Just remember to keep your chin up. As long as you stay focused on the end goal and keep taking small steps toward getting there, you’ll be on your way to big life-change.