It’s that time of year again: goals, resolutions, a new you. The new year is everyone’s favourite time to set new goals. If you’re considering setting goals for 2017—especially health-related goals—here are 3 tips to help you get started.
Start with big goals
Think about the big picture when you start the goal-making process. For example, “I want to be healthy” is a big picture goal.
By setting high-level goals, you can focus on what matters most to you and recognize what things you value. This will help guide the rest of the process.
Break it down
Once you’ve set your big picture goal(s), set smaller, more specific goals.
Consider what areas of your life you want to change that can move you toward your big picture goal(s). Improvements in the following areas, for example, could help get you closer to your goal to be healthy:
After pinning down the areas where you want to see change, determine what you want to accomplish in each area and where you’d like to be after a certain period.
Be SMART
SMART is a mnemonic used by life coaches, motivators, and other goal-setting professionals as a way to remember 5 key things for creating goals that can more easily keep you accountable and motivated.
- Your smaller goals should answer the highly specific questions of who, what, where, when, and why.
- To track your progress, make goals measurable. This will help you stay on track, and small victories will keep you motivated.
- Evaluate your situation honestly and recognize which goals are attainable.
- Make sure your goals are relevant to your life and to the big picture goal (s).
- Keep your goals time-related by setting a “due date” to meet goals. It keeps you on track and prevents daily roadblocks from getting in the way.
Finally, make sure your goals are positive, stay focused on incremental goals, and watch your priorities.
Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to a new you.