{"id":693,"date":"2021-12-31T12:00:24","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T02:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bdabooks.com.au\/Blog\/2023\/goals-v-resolutions-creating-and-keeping-your-new-years-wish-list\/"},"modified":"2023-01-03T08:15:31","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T22:15:31","slug":"goals-v-resolutions-creating-and-keeping-your-new-years-wish-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bdabooks.com.au\/Blog\/2021\/goals-v-resolutions-creating-and-keeping-your-new-years-wish-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Goals v Resolutions: Creating and Keeping your New Year\u2019s Wish List"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Out with the old, in with the new. May the New Year bring you peace, prosperity, and fortune! New Year is an exciting time to set goals for the future!<\/h5>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

Many of us make New Year\u2019s resolutions and then break them. Others feel that goals are too lofty and focus on day-to-day tasks instead. Is it time to change your perspective on both?<\/p>\r\n

\"Photograph
Belinda D’Alessandro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

The Covid\u201319 pandemic is nearing its third year, and you\u2019ve heard it before. The New Year bombards us with lots of ideas for resolutions. They\u2019re everywhere on the internet, periodicals, and social media.<\/p>\r\n

But you may wonder, \u201cWhat\u2019s the point?\u201d after another year of dealing with the Covid\u201319 pandemic. The question is, \u201cIs it necessary for us to make resolutions?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Even though there was (and still is) ambiguity surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, last year, a study of Verywell Mind readers<\/a> showed an increased desire to make a New Year\u2019s resolution, which instead motivated many people to keep pushing for self-improvement, despite the pandemic uncertainty.<\/p>\r\n

Why have Goals and Resolutions?<\/h2>\r\n

With or without crisis, having clear goals will help you see things more clearly and stay focused for the coming year, irrespective of whether or not you\u2019re in an emergency.<\/p>\r\n

But, of course, it\u2019s another matter entirely whether or not you\u2019ll stick to your resolutions in the long run. Our dreams and aspirations for 2021 may have been dashed again, and now we\u2019re left to wonder if 2022 will be any better. So, why not kick off in style by taking back the reins with a new plan of action?<\/p>\r\n

What are Goals and Resolutions?<\/h2>\r\n

What\u2019s the difference between goals and resolutions? While you may have set resolutions to improve your life, it is essential to recognize that a goal needs time and effort to make it happen. Goals result from a process that includes specific steps and tasks, making them more measurable than resolutions.<\/p>\r\n

The concept of setting goals and making resolutions is to develop a specific plan of action to ensure you succeed in accomplishing something important. It\u2019s about visualizing your success in your head, planning for it, taking action, and then following through on that plan until you achieve that goal.<\/p>\r\n

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\u201cA goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.\u201d Bruce Lee<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

Goals and resolutions are two different ways of looking at the same thing. Both are about setting yourself a clear direction for the future, and both involve taking action. The difference is that goals are about setting a target you\u2019d like to achieve over an extended period, and resolutions are about making a change in your life.<\/p>\r\n

The most important part of goal setting is to track your progress. Setting goals is pointless if you don\u2019t have a way of knowing if you\u2019re on track.<\/p>\r\n

Why do we need to create goals and resolutions?<\/h2>\r\n

The new year is a time for people to reflect, re-evaluate and plan for the future. Many people are all about setting big, ambitious goals, but that\u2019s not always the best way to approach resolutions.<\/p>\r\n

Some of the most successful people don\u2019t make resolutions. The reasons for this are simple: we don\u2019t need to be perfect, and it\u2019s better to implement more minor changes throughout the year rather than one big goal at the start of it.<\/p>\r\n

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\u201cThe great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.\u201d Michelangelo<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

It\u2019s important to remember that you\u2019re setting a target when you set a goal. You\u2019re not necessarily saying, \u201cI\u2019m going to achieve this goal by this date.\u201d If you say that, it becomes a deadline, and you can feel the pressure building up. Instead, set a target. Say to yourself, \u201cI\u2019m going to achieve this goal by the end of this year.\u201d Then work backwards: figure out what you need to do to achieve the goal.<\/p>\r\n

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Linear mind map for setting goals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Goals and resolutions are fundamental to our lives, yet only 38% of us have written goals. That\u2019s why only 8% of us are actually successful in achieving them.<\/p>\r\n

Creating goals is like planting seeds for success. They give us a clear direction in life, a vision that we can work towards. They also determine where our focus goes and what we choose to leave behind. Decide what you want and set your goals accordingly.<\/p>\r\n

The first step to writing a goal is getting specific. Goals that are too general or broad will not be meaningful enough to help you stay motivated.<\/p>\r\n

How can you set goals and resolutions that will last?<\/h2>\r\n

Millions of people set goals and resolutions that they never follow through on every year. But knowing what your goals are and knowing how to reach them are different things.<\/p>\r\n

We tend to set goals that are too broad or too vague. Vague goals are easy to forget and bad at motivating us to work towards them. They also make us feel like we\u2019re not doing anything at all.<\/p>\r\n

Broad goals are the exact opposite. We can brainstorm hundreds of ideas that could fit in with general goals, but it\u2019s hard to narrow down what we really want. And if you must narrow your goals down even more, you may start to see a trend. Maybe you have to start with smaller goals and work your way up. Perhaps you need to set more than one goal at a time.<\/p>\r\n

Whatever the case may be, remember it\u2019s a process. It\u2019s not going to happen overnight, and it\u2019s okay if you must take a step back sometimes.<\/p>\r\n

I\u2019m still working on this, but it\u2019s okay to set smaller goals and celebrate those victories.<\/p>\r\n

Setting a big goal is a great way to get motivated and excited about what you want to achieve in the next year when you go into the new year. Set goals and resolutions that will last. Setting your goals and knowing how to get there is a great way to keep you on track every year.<\/p>\r\n

So how do you set goals that you\u2019ll be able to achieve?<\/p>\r\n

Have SMART goals<\/h2>\r\n

If your goals aren\u2019t SMART, you won\u2019t be able to accomplish them. When it comes to SMART goals, they are defined as:<\/p>\r\n