Change is hard but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.
We all vow to make changes in our lives that will make us healthier, kinder, better partner, parent, friend and human being. But the reality of it is we’re only human and being human can sometimes be hard. As a result, a lot of the changes we’d like to make remain as nothing more than hopes and dreams. Then New Year’s Eve rolls around and we make a dedicated resolution to commit to some of those changes.
These resolutions are always made with the best of intentions but it doesn’t matter how well intended those resolutions are, sticking to them can sometimes be close to impossible.
New year’s resolution goals should be smart, and by that we don’t mean they should be witty and good at trivia. We mean the acronym S.M.A.R.T. See, by sticking to S.M.A.R.T., those goals won’t seem so out of reach anymore.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
SPECFIC: Whatever it is you’re trying to achieve, you need to be specific about it. Vague goals are never achieved goals. Don’t say something like, “I want to get fit.” Be more specific and say, “In three months I want to be able to run ten kilometres in thirty minutes.”
MEASUREABLE: For a goal to be effective, you need to be clear about where you are now and where you want to be in the future. If you want to lose five kilos, then chart your weight every week to map the process.
ACHIEVABLE: Be realistic. If it’s your goal to be the first man on the moon, then you’re probably in for a hard road. First you’d have to invent a time machine. Then you’d have to go back to the 60s, get into the NASA program, beat Neil Armstrong to the highly competitive mission of the moon landing and only then you’d get to be the first man on the moon. The more achievable your goal the more likely you are to achieve it.
RELEVANT: Is the goal really, really something you want to achieve? Are you doing because you want to do it or because somebody else wants you to do it? If it’s for you then the chances of achieving that goal are drastically higher.
TIME: Is the time frame you’ve allowed yourself to achieve your goal realistically achievable? Losing thirty kilos in three weeks might be a tad extreme. But if you plan to lose that weight over the course of the year, then your chances of success are far better.
Not all resolutions need to be hard and tough. The best resolutions are the fun ones.
Maybe try some of these:
- Learn to cook by trying one new recipe each and every week
- Read ten more books this year
- Go see three live bands throughout the year
- Make one new friend
- Decorate your house with photos of friends and loved ones
- Plan a holiday – even if it’s just a weekend away
- Buy a new pair of runners – and take long walks in them
- Explore a new hobby
- Actually take a lunch break
- Donate your old clothes
- Watch more world news
- Learn a new skill
- Take more baths
- Watch more movies
- Invent your own cocktail
- Take more naps
- Binge watch a TV show
- Create a new playlist for every season
- Throw a party
- Learn a language.
Fulfilling your new year’s resolutions doesn’t need to like pulling teeth. The more fun they are, the more you’ll achieve.
Concerned? Talk to a professional counsellor on 1300 096 269. It’s free to people in north, western and central Melbourne and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Want to know where else you can get help? Find out how to access additional community support.
The CAREinMIND blog is delivered by On the Line. The views in each post do not necessarily reflect those of North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network.