Achieve your goals in 2020

It’s a new year and as is typical, most of us have made or will make resolutions. Does it just suffice to make a set of resolutions for the next 365 days? While making New Year’s resolutions has become a tradition, keeping up and living up to them is an uphill battle for many. Because many end up not abiding by their resolutions, it may be time to begin questioning the relevance of New Year’s resolutions. I still believe that it is worth the try because the transition into the new year is the one time of the year when we all have the most momentum. Here are three quick tips to help you make new year’s resolutions or set goals for the new year.

Set Goals that are time-sensitive: Set goals that you can easily track over a period of time. My wife used to keep a set of twelve sealed envelopes which she unsealed at the end of each month to reveal what goals she set for us as a family. Goals that are time-sensitive are easier to track and more likely to be adhered to.

Set goals that are realistic: Avoid being over ambitious. With the excitement that the new year ushers in, it is easy to fall into the trap of making a blanket set of open-ended resolutions like “I will discontinue alcohol consumption in 2020.” Instead, start with a small set of measurable goals like, “I will limit my alcohol consumption to one glass per day.” Starting with baby steps allows you the opportunity to upgrade to bigger goals over time. Unrealistic goals are as bad as not having set any in the first place.

Holding yourself accountable: Whatever goals that you set, do so in conjunction with someone who will hold you accountable. A lot of people have set fitness goals with friends or colleagues through a competitive method (biggest loser) and have been very successful in holding each other accountable through a weekly tracking system. You can use your spouse, a close friend, a sibling, etc. as your accountability partner.

Whatever you decide to do this January, remember that you can only hold yourself responsible for attempting to achieve something rather than not trying at all. Let 2020 be the year that you unleash your true potential.