Set Goals that You are Guaranteed to Achieve

Are you tired of setting resolutions on January 1st and then frustrated on January 5th when you’ve already failed to keep them?

Goal setting and New Year Resolutions have become “cliche” in recent years. Everyone knows 90% of people don’t keep up with their goals for even the month of January.

I absolutely agree with the approach that “you don’t have to wait until January to make a change!” but that somehow doesn’t keep me from nerding out with my yearly planner, goal setting worksheet and vision board supplies.

I LOVE goal setting. Goal setting is the oxygen that stokes the fire under your passions and productivity. It helps you to stay focused when you may feel stuck in the grind of day to day tasks.

In 2019 I started creating a vision board each new year. It helps me to remember WHY I do what I do everyday, sparks my motivation when I lose focus. It reminds me of my goals, dreams and values. The photos are such an inspiration to me - it’s like I can see myself in that place, already achieving the goal! I always display my vision board in a prominent place that I will see everyday.

If you’re not a goal setter or the type to write in a planner, I highly recommend you give it a try. Your approach to planning and goal setting may look different than mine, BUT - everyone needs goals and we are more likely to bring to remembrance things that we put into writing.

Where to start:

1. Look over your calendar from the past year and ask yourself some questions:

   • What do I want to do again?

   • What do I NOT want to do again?

   • When did I feel “off track”/not in a good groove (I know, I know… it’s 2020!)

   • When did I feel my best?

   • What are some of the moments I treasured the most this year.

I suggest writing down these answers or highlighting them in your planner, broken down into the categories.

2. Plan to recreate the good and ditch the bad this new year!

Those things that you put on the lists

• What I want to do again

• When I felt my best

• Moments I treasured the most

Write those down in your new planner.

Many may think of goal setting as a list of things we’re “bad at” that we need to improve this year… This does not have to be the approach.

I want you to set goals for vacation/downtime, time for reflection, enjoyment, and time to take care of your health. I want those things planned out (at least tentatively) in your calendar before the year even starts. If you want to feel accomplished, productive (but most of all, happy and content) and the end of the year, you need to take some time for yourself. Take some time to be present and live in the moments. Be mindful of the good things that are taking place around you.

The key to SUSTAINABLE goal setting

The plan above may sound great on Dec 31st… but that doesn’t make these new habits any easier to stick with come January. So what’s the key to sustainability?

Let’s take a health goal for example.

Instead of setting a goal of: “Lose 50# by the end of 2021” or “Cut out sweets, carbs and sugar” -

Try setting a goal to:

“Monitor or write down food intake 3-4x/week” and “Eat 1/2 a plate of vegetables at lunch and dinner”

These goals are much more action oriented.

Food tracking and monitoring is shown to increase weight loss by 50% compared to those that don’t track their food!

These action items give you a plan of exactly HOW we are going to decrease sweets/carbs without eliminating them completely. If you are filling your plate with vegetables, you are going to be more full and satisfied and feel less need for a large serving of bread, rice or dessert. Instead of “never/no/avoid/cut out” use language such as “add, more/less, decrease/increase”

If you still feel unsure of where to start, I’ve included a link to my FREE printable goal setting worksheet. Use this PDF to categorize your goals and set a few action items under each topic.

I also highly recommend a few resources to encourage you on your endeavors this year. Your success and productivity is many times decided before we even step out of bed in the morning. It is built into our day to day choices that we may not even recognize. Habits are powerful and determine so much about our daily lives and our long term productivity. You can and will change your life simply by changing your habits.

If you need an extra boost of motivation, check out these two books! Both available in audiobooks and hardcopy.

• Atomic Habits - James Clear

• The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

Happy Holidays and Happy Planning :)

I’m here for you and I believe in you!

- Miranda Castillo, RD, LD, CDE

P.S. Don't forget your FREE download!!