A new year feels like a clean slate, so it’s no wonder that it gets people thinking about the future! New Year’s resolutions are one of the more popular forms of personal goal-setting, even if most of them won’t last past January!
New Year’s resolutions came up in conversation during one of our recent OGT Team meetings. Our colleague Chris mentioned that he preferred to set goals for himself in February, and as he explained his reasoning, we all agreed that setting “February resolutions” was a brilliant idea!
The biggest advantage of waiting until February to set goals for the year ahead is that it gives you more time to think! It takes time to set thoughtful goals, so there’s no reason to rush it.
It also gives you time to get yourself back on track after the holidays. The holidays interrupt our daily routines, so being able to catch up on work, chores, and other duties before setting new goals can make a huge difference!
While it may not be the case for everyone, I suspect that many people who resolve to lose weight in January are compensating for overindulging during the holidays. And it’s difficult to set a realistic and meaningful goal when you’re doing so out of guilt or shame!
Waiting to set your goals until February gives you time to readjust to your normal routine. You’ll find it much easier to set a realistic and meaningful goal when you aren’t fresh off the frenzy of the holidays!
When you set goals thoughtfully and realistically, you give yourself the best possible chance of success! You’ll be less likely to burn out or give up than someone who thought up their resolution on New Year’s Eve.
Take the month of January to reflect on the previous year and consider what you want to achieve in the new one. You don’t have to think about it constantly, but try to keep it in the back of your mind.
Whenever you think of something that might make a good goal, jot it down so you don’t forget it. Keep track of these thoughts throughout the month, and make note of any common themes you can identify.
When you feel ready to commit to a goal or resolution for the year, make sure to write it down! I put together a printable goal sheet for you to use, which you can download using the button below.
Click on the button below to download my free printable goal sheet, and use it to set goals and resolutions for the coming year!
A big, year-long goal can seem pretty intimidating when you consider it all at once. You can make it feel more manageable by breaking the year up into smaller pieces, setting quarterly goals that will help you reach your goal for the year.
I broke my annual goal down into four smaller goals, so that each quarter I can focus on creating abundance in one specific aspect of my life. For one quarter I’ll focus on spiritual abundance, then intellectual, physical, and social.
What is your process for setting goals or resolutions?
At one day last year you had a printable weekly calendar and I can’t find it back and loved it. Any chance you would do that again??
Rita, I typed ‘weekly calendar’ in Jillee’s seach bar above and found this – https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/5-tips-to-improve-your-to-do-list-free-printables/ Some of the printables are for 2016, but the weekly sheet can be used for any date. Hopefully, this will help.
I used to get pressured all the time about New Year’s Resolutions – some people actually insisted I make and verbalize them on the spot! (I know, I don’t hang around people like that anymore.) So I made a resolution I knew I could stick to, just to shut those people up.
Best part? I could repeat that resolution every year!
Are you a Virgo? They love to organize and make lists!
Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it, Jesus is my plea, daily walking close to Thee, let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I love this. I quit making resolutions years ago. It was like setting myself up for failure knowing I wouldn’t be able to stick to my resolutions. This makes a lot more sense. I try to mentally set goals for myself.