15Jan

Setting Goals

A new year, a new set of resolutions. Unfortunately, many of our New Year’s resolutions rarely make it through all 365 days. How can we make our goals more attainable and sustainable for 2014? Sometimes it helps to start with what we value most. What do you believe to be your core values that drive the decisions you make on a daily basis (i.e. health, building strong relationships, education, etc.)? These values can be good indicators of positive goals we can set for ourselves that may make it past January 31.

It can also be beneficial to celebrate the successes we have had in previous goals. Ask yourself- what am I doing well? For example, if your goal is to exercise more, celebrate any health-related accomplishments you have achieved in the past. For example, if you have worked to incorporate more fresh vegetables into your diet- good job! Encouragement is a great springboard into accomplishing future goals.

Another common pitfall in creating New Year’s resolutions is we tend to aim for perfection, when sustainable goals tend to be more attainable if we start small and build upon a strong foundation of positive habits. Losing weight tends to be a popular New Year’s resolution. Perhaps it could be more beneficial to ditch the idea of the “perfect size, weight, etc.” and vow to exercise three days per week, begin counting calories, or cut out one unhealthy snack per day. Strive for habits to be the ideal goal, rather than looking to the end result. When we look only to the end result, it can lead to discouragement if things do not turn out exactly as we hope.

If you would like help in setting sustainable goals for the new year, please call Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to make an appointment with a mental health counselor. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LECS Counselor