New Years is usually a time for reflection and optimism for the next year – it’s going to be better this time around! All the goals that you have been trying to achieve will FINALLY happen this year.
But why does the same thing happen year after year? January hits and the gyms are packed. Diets are being followed to a tee. Motivation is running high. Then by March all of these new year habits dissipate, along with your motivation. What happened?
Here are SEVEN reasons why your new year goals end the same way every year. Adjust your goals using these tips and make 2024 your year!
Your goals do not align with your lifestyle
You are setting goals to better yourself, so you shouldn’t set a goal just because it worked for your coworker or someone on social media. If you set a goal to run a marathon but hate running, you most likely aren’t going to be motivated to train. Figure out what is important to you and how you can improve that area of your life.
Your goals are not specific enough
You want to make your goals as easy to follow as possible! When you set vague goals, you are less likely to carry them out because you aren’t actually creating a plan. For example, instead of setting a goal to eat healthier, set a goal to:
- Spend one hour on Sunday meal prepping
- Try one new healthy recipe a week
- Eat plant-based one day a week
- Add one new source of fiber to your diet
- Swap out one refined grain (white bread) in your diet for a whole grain (wheat bread)
- Drink 8 cups of water a day
These goals are more specific and therefore easier to follow!
Setting too many goals at once
It can be tempting to set a bunch of different goals at once. If you are trying to improve your overall health, you may want to set goals to eat healthier, exercise more, sleep better, meditate, etc. However, doing all these things at once will leave you burnt out and overwhelmed. Instead, pick 1-2 specific behaviors you can work on and then start adding more after a couple of weeks.
Unrealistic timeline
Setting an unrealistic timeline for your goals may leave you feeling discouraged. You may be really motivated to run a half marathon in the spring. However, if you’ve never run before, that may not be the most realistic timeline. Make sure you give yourself enough time to achieve the goals, but not too much time where you might lose motivation. Set yourself up for success!
Your goals focus on the negatives
Achieving your goals is not supposed to be easy. However, it shouldn’t be a miserable experience either. When you set goals to take away the bad or unhealthy habits in your life, it may be harder to achieve them. For example, instead of cutting out sweets, set a goal to eat breakfast or add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
No check-ins
It is important to check-in with your goals as you begin to work on them. Sometimes you need to pivot and readjust. Schedule time in your calendar every few weeks to check in with how things are going. Figure out what is working well and what is not working. This is key to making sure you finish out your goals and maintain the habits you are building.
No plan for setbacks
It is normal for setbacks to happen. You may run into a busy season at work where your habits are put on the back burner. Your motivation may dip. Brainstorming ideas to make your goals as easy to work on as possible is key to achieving them. For example, if you have a goal to workout before work in the morning, set your clothes out the night before and put your alarm far away from your bed so you have to get up to turn it off.
Make 2024 different! Set yourself up for success by setting goals that work for you. Create a plan, focus on habits that you can add to your lifestyle, and only work on a few goals at a time. If you keep these 7 tips in mind, you will crush your goals this year!