Many people start off a new calendar year with a list of resolutions or goals they plan to implement that coming year. This is often done to help them focus more on reaching goals, such as financial, health, fitness, professional, and travel. Have you ever wondered if setting new year’s resolutions are worth it? Here are some things to consider:
- Do you have realistic goals in mind you would like to work towards this year?
- Do you foresee yourself sticking to goals you set?
- Do you struggle with reaching goals you typically set for yourself?
- Do you feel more motivated/empowered when you set goals or come up with a plan to accomplish certain things?
- Are you feeling pressured to have a new year’s resolution because others around you do?
Identifying your “why” or reason for setting a new year’s resolution can help you identify whether or not it feels worth it. Important things to consider when setting any goal or resolution, regardless of the time of year, are ensuring you are setting small, realistic, achievable, and sustainable goals. For many people, this can be very motivating and give them something to help hold them accountable and work towards. However, setting unrealistic goals that are too broad or large can cause people to feel unproductive, unmotivated, and unable to maintain certain goals for long durations of time. Ultimately, setting unrealistic or hard to reach goals are typically not ones that are sustainable or pay off in the long-term.
An example of a small, realistic goal could look like: “I will start walking for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, either inside or outside depending on the weather.” An example of a large and too broad of a goal could look like: “I will work out every day”.
So, are new year’s resolutions worth setting? They can be. As long as there is intention, meaning, and thought put into those goals that include action steps to help you get there. However, if you’re not someone who feels this is helpful or motivating for you, it’s okay to not identify any resolutions for the new year and carry on as usual. The choice is yours, and there is no wrong answer. Remember, you can set a goal and reach a desired goal any time of the year. You get to decide when that is.
If you are someone who feels this could be helpful for you, and would like more information on how to set goals for the new year that you will maintain and reach, visit our previous blog post here all about How to Make New Year’s Resolutions Stick.
