How to achieve an effective resolution

The methodology our coaches use to help people set, achieve and sustain their goals

With the beginning of a new year, many people will begin to make those all-encompassing New Year’s resolutions, such as “I’m going to be healthier this year”, “I’m not going to stress about the small things”, “I’m going to start exercising more” or “I’m going to lose weight”. The list goes on.  While all of these might be great long-term goals, all too often by the first week of February they have been forgotten about and we haven’t changed our habits at all.

So, if you are going to set yourself a resolution this year, make sure you set one that you will stick to. The best way to do this is to start by focusing on just one small thing. Set yourself one small goal, plan to achieve it, complete it and then set yourself another small goal, plan to achieve it, complete it, and so on.

It might not seem like much at the time, but over the course of the year, all those little goals will add up. By the time December comes around, you’ll be able to look back a with a sense of pride and accomplishments when you realise just how much you’ve actually achieved.

Set SMART goals

To ensure that your goals are powerful ones, make them SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

You’ve probably heard of the term ‘SMART goals’ before – it’s an effective method that our health and wellbeing coaches use every day in their sessions when helping people to make lifelong improvements.

Let’s look at how they work:

1. Make your goals specific
   Firstly, your goal must be clear and well defined. You need goals to show you the way, so vague or generalised ones will be unhelpful because they won’t provide sufficient direction. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.
2. Make your goals measurable
   When setting a goal, always make sure that you have a way to measure your success. If your goal is simply defined as something like “exercise more” how will you know when you have been successful?  Including exact amounts, dates, times, etc. will allow you to know exactly how well you are tracking towards reaching your goal, and more importantly, when you have achieved it.
3. Make your goals achievable
   Make sure that you set yourself goals that are realistically achievable.  If you set a goal that you know you have no hope of achieving, you will only set yourself up for failure, which can be demoralising and damaging to your confidence. Set yourself up for success instead!
4. Make your goals relevant
   Your goals should be relevant to you and your surroundings, and the direction that you want your life to take. By keeping your goals aligned with this, you’ll develop the focus you need to get where you want to be.
5. Make your goals time-bound
   Your goals should always have a set time frame. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases, and achievement will come that much quicker. Having a clear time frame will also let you know when you will be able to celebrate your success.

So, when it comes to setting yourself up for success in 2023, do it the way our coaches do it and set yourself some SMART goals!

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