New Year’s Resolution Check-In: Get Back on Track!
| 2 min read
It’s been almost five months since you set your resolutions at the beginning of the year, but don’t lose heart if you haven’t accomplished everything you wanted to! You aren’t alone. U.S. News and World Report says by the second week of February, 80 percent of resolution makers have given up on their goals. Luckily, this time of year is the perfect time to get refocused, gather your support group and put those goals back on your radar.
Start by taking another glance at our blog post on common mistakes people make when setting goals. Most experts agree that you need to follow something called the S.M.A.R.T. method when goal setting (it stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound). With that in mind, come up with the goals you want to accomplish for the rest of the year (and the rest of your life!). Ready to get going again? Here’s what you should consider:
- Specific: Vagueness stops here. Pick apart exactly what you’re trying to accomplish until you have an exact description of the end goal. The vaguer you are, the less likely you are to achieve it.
- Measurable: Instead of saying you’ll lose weight, come up with a specific number, like 10 pounds. Instead of saying you want to get more fit, come up with a specific accomplishment, like running a mile without stopping.
- Attainable: Don’t be too aggressive with what you want right away or you’ll get discouraged when you don’t accomplish it.
- Relevant: Make sure your goal is important to you right now. What are you feeling an urgency to accomplish? What changes do you want to see in your life so you can reach your dreams?
- Time-bound: Giving yourself a due date will make it easier to stay on track.
Whatever your goal is, don’t forget to track your progress and reward yourself along the way. Also share your goals with a friend – this makes you 33 percent likelier to be successful. For extra motivation and community support as you go after your goals, join our #HealthyMe community. It will give you the push you need to keep working towards your goals, whatever they are.
For more blogs on setting and keeping up with goals, check out these other blog posts:
Photo credit: mt 23
