At the
beginning of each year, we renew our promises to ourselves to change for the
better, such as following a healthy diet, losing excess weight, quitting
smoking, or exercising regularly. Unfortunately, for most
people, these promises don't last long. According to research, only 9% of
people succeed in achieving their annual goals, while 43% abandon them before
the end of January.
There are many reasons why goals can fail, such as
setting too many goals at once or choosing goals that are too difficult to
achieve.
However, good planning and adopting smart goals and
strategies can help you break this pattern and make a difference by actually
committing to your new resolutions.
1- Start setting your goals the SMART way.
SMART is an
acronym for five words, or rather "conditions," that your goals must
meet in order to be successfully achieved. It stands for:
S-Specific:
Make your goals very specific. Instead of intending to "eat
healthier," set more specific goals, such as "I will eat two more
servings of vegetables every day."
M-Measurable:
Determine how you will measure your progress toward your goal so you have a
clear way to determine your success.
A-Achievable:
Choose a goal that you can actually achieve and commit to, and that fits within
your capabilities.
R-Realistic:
Be honest with yourself. Think carefully about what you can do within your
daily commitments. If you know that going to the gym every morning will
conflict with dropping your children off at school, find another goal that fits
within your daily schedule.
T-Time-bound:
Time-bound. Set a clear timeframe for your goal—whether you'll achieve it
within a month or over the course of a year.
After you've
identified the right resolutions and goals, now's the time to turn them into
permanent habits.
2- Break
your goal down into smaller goals.
It's logical
that smaller goals are easier to achieve than larger ones. For example, telling
yourself, "I want to be healthier this year," may be a difficult goal
to achieve, while saying, "I will eat less sugar," is a clearer,
smaller, and easier goal to achieve.
If you have
a larger goal you want to achieve, such as losing 25 kg or quitting smoking,
try breaking it down into smaller, incremental goals and linking them to
specific timeframes. For example, you could set timeframes for losing 5 kg each
time, or reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke per day by five.
It's also
important to celebrate these small achievements each time, and reward
yourself—for example, with a massage, a visit to a friend, or watching a new
movie.
3. Make new
habits part of your daily routine
One of the
reasons new habits don't stick is not knowing how and where to fit them into
your daily schedule. If you're not used to exercising regularly, you'll find it
difficult to allocate time for it within your busy day. So, if you want to make
a habit stick, you need to find a way to seamlessly integrate it into your
existing routine.
For example,
if you're a morning person, take advantage of your extra free time in the
morning to go to the gym, take an online exercise class at home, or schedule a
walk during your lunch break. Better yet, involve your family in the
process—like dedicating some time after dinner to a group activity hour.
4. Ensure
Commitment and Consistency
The easiest
way to establish new habits is to be persistent. Set a clear schedule for
yourself that outlines when, what, and how much you'll do each day to achieve
your health goal, such as walking 10,000 steps daily, eating two servings of
vegetables daily, or abstaining from the cigarette you used to have with your
morning coffee.
Hold
yourself accountable and hold yourself accountable for your daily commitment to
these goals, and over time, you'll find them becoming an integral part of your
daily routine.
5. Be
flexible when needed.
Overly
setting goals is one of the main reasons for their failure. If you can't keep
up with your own expectations, you'll simply give up.
If you slip
up and don't go to the gym this time, or eat a cookie, don't give up and
abandon your goal. Instead, take time to reevaluate and remember that setbacks
are normal and may occur along your journey toward your goal.
Accept that
you're not perfect (who among us is?), continue moving toward your goal, and,
most importantly, renew your commitment to your goal and do your best to get
back on track.
6. Track
your progress.
You can use
a journal, calendar, or app on your phone to track your progress. Seeing the
series of days you've successfully committed to your goal will motivate you to
further embed this habit into your daily routine.
By
committing to these steps, you will help turn your new ambitions and
resolutions into an established habit in your daily routine.