Practices to Avoid When Setting Goals This New Year

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It’s the new year! Let’s take advantage of the common practice of creating New Year’s Resolutions . . . but wait! Let’s do something different to complete those goals we repeat every single year or the new ones that we add to our list.

Here are some practices to avoid when setting goals and getting things done.

Establishing Too Many Goals

It is better to complete one thing than to leave two in progress. Each of us has different things on our plate. Be honest with yourself about the time you can invest in each of your goals. Once you start, keep your priorities straight. You can start doing small things. Keep it simple!

Setting Ambiguous Goals and Not Outlining the How (Process)

Thinking about life goals is relatively “easy”–losing weight, saving money for traveling, or improving my TikTok presence. However, it is important to set “SMART” goals, a universal method that will help eliminate the ambiguity. Here is one way we can create realistic statements and create more achievable goals:

Things to Avoid on Setting Resolutions this 2022
SMART Goals

Trying to Do Everything by Yourself

Goals can best be reached with teamwork. Think about how your family or friends can participate in the activities you have planned to accomplish your plan. Look for partners that can be part of the process or just cheerleaders and support. For example, you can create a partnership with one of your friends to go to the gym. Each of you will set your own goals to achieve based on her needs. Then when you exercise together, you will both be motivated and supported by the other.

Think not only about your objectives but also about your family expectations. I highly recommend planning with your significant other. In my case, my husband and I have had our “Annual Family Planning Meeting” each January since we got married. There, each of us enlists the personal goals for that year and shares them with the other to be connected and be part of the process as support. Also, we create common objectives about the family business, vacations, finance, and other relevant events. We try to review the progress every month on one of our date nights.

Not Tracking Your Progress

The possibility of failure is huge if you come back to your plan months later or at the end of the year. We have many things in mind, so help your brain constantly remember your objectives by having visual supports or even the complete plan stuck on the fridge or anywhere else you can see every day. It can be a simple excel spreadsheet or useful and integrated apps created for that purpose. Also, your phone tools like calendars or reminders can be used for support. I have an hourly reminder on my phone to drink water just to confirm that I’m taking one little step in my path to be healthier.

 

Practices to Avoid When Setting Goals This New YearFinally, by following the process, we are creating a path of steps or specific milestones we need to accomplish to reach the final goal.

Let’s embrace the challenge of getting things done this new year!

Originally published January 2022.



The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of El Paso Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.

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