When going into the new year, most set high expectations for themselves. However expecting to transform into a new, perfect version of yourself isn’t always realistic. When creating new year’s resolutions, the process can feel sort of daunting, especially after motivation begins to lessen.
At the beginning of 2021, VALLEY recommends setting yourself up for success with long-term, or even short-term, goals that are achievable, but will still challenge you to be the best version of yourself.
To set up these goals, you first have to think about what you’re most passionate about and why. In determining what you want for yourself in 2021, you’ll be able to find the internal motivation that will keep you going throughout the year.
A couple of common resolutions that are often given up are losing weight, being organized and saving money. These resolutions can be lofty and non-specific. Instead of creating such immense goals, try to whittle them down to create more intentional, achievable and specific resolutions.
Losing Weight
Losing weight is a common resolution that can easily be down-sized by specifying the actions you’re actually interested in. In identifying these specific actions, you’ll be able to create a plan with detailed steps you can follow.
Whether your aim, or your internal motivation, is to exercise more, eat healthier or generally live a healthier lifestyle, you have to figure out how you can best accomplish that.
If you’re new to going to the gym, working out five days a week may appear unachievable. Perhaps start off with two days a week, and work up yourself up to a schedule you feel comfortable with. If you’re unused to eating healthier, perhaps your goal could be to make three new healthy recipes a week.
In finding success in these smaller goals, you’ll be able to maintain the motivation you have now, and propel yourself into new goals as you go.
Being Organized
Being organized is another popular resolution that can seem really daunting. To scale back this goal, you should start by defining what organized means to you. Is it keeping your room clean? Is it keeping a better track of school assignments? No matter what you define as being better organized, there is a way to make an actionable plan.
If to you, being more organized has to do with keeping a clean room, perhaps change your resolution to making your bed every morning, putting away laundry as you go or dusting once a week. If to you organized has to do more with school work, perhaps change your resolution to keeping a daily planner, looking through Canvas every morning or going to office hours at least once a month to check in with your professor.
An actionable plan will hold you accountable and make your goal of being organized much more obtainable.
Saving Money
Another common resolution is saving money. This is another general goal that can be whittled down into something much more specific. To start, identify what you’re saving for. In determining what you’re saving for, you can begin to plan on how much money you want to save, and by which date you’ll need it for. This will allow for you to create a plan that you can follow.
If saving for a specific item, like a trip or product, you could aim to save a specific amount from every paycheck you receive up until the point you purchase the items. If just saving generally in order to build up a savings account, this method can also be applied: the amount does not have to be a lot, just what you can afford. This could mean saving $25 from every check, or even $50.
Additionally, if not working, you could set a resolution to not spend over a specific amount each week. By not allowing yourself to go over that maximum amount, you’ll be able to save the money you might have otherwise spent.
These specific actions create a plan that will make you feel much more secure and assured in your goal.
Overall, no matter your goal, by detailing out your resolution and determining specific steps to getting there, it will become much more obtainable. Tweet us, @VALLEYmag, with your new year’s resolution!
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