Goals That I Won’t Be Calling New Year’s Resolutions | Tips and Ideas for Goals

Why do we call them New Year’s Resolutions?

Is it just because we set them at the beginning of a new year? Or perhaps because that’s the only way we’ll be motivated to set them?

I’m trying to be more honest with myself and I know that I most likely won’t complete those that I call New Year’s Resolutions so this year, I’m calling them ‘Goals that I won’t berate myself for not completing this year’.

Focusing the year on self. We get so caught up in the fast-paced nature of our society, constantly working, networking, that we don’t leave any time for ourselves. We spend the majority of every day going to school or work and by the time we get home, we’re too exhausted to do anything other than fall into bed. I’m trying to be more conscious about it this year and try to leave some time out every day to focus on myself, whether it be to journal or practice a self-care routine.

Setting clear, achievable goals for myself. I’ll be splitting them into personal and school goals because those are the main areas of my life now as a student, but there’s also the option of adding career/business goals once I’m further into my degree. When I’m setting goals, I tend to reach for something that’s too ambiguous, as in, my goals are not specific enough to be achievable. E.g. Instead of saying that I want to exercise four times a week, I say that I want to start exercising. This means that I’m constantly finding loopholes around my own goals, rendering them unachievable. This year, I’m going to make my goals clear and concise, because I know just hwo much of a procrastinator I am.

Starting up a new hobby. Has there always been something that you’ve wanted to try out for a while e.g. crafting, photography, and you’ve found that you don’t have time, or you’re too tired each day? I’ve found that a lot of the time, they’re just excuses, simply because we’re not motivated enough to follow through. I’m a firm believer that you can make time for the things that really matter, so if you’re committed enough, you’ll always have the time.

Fitness. I’m a huge lover of sport and physical activity, but when it comes to the off-season, I’m not particularly motivated to do anything simply for the sake of exercise. I’m in a bit of a pickle really, on one hand, I’ll happily play sport as often as five times a week; but on the other hand, I’m not willing to go for a jog three times a week just to stay fit. This year, I’m going to attempt to maintain a consistent exercise schedule every week, especially during exams and the off-season.

Will you be setting “New Year’s Resolutions” (goals that will be completed when they are completed)?