Resolutions
Hello Friends!
With 2025 just around the corner, resolutions are a hot topic. I have always made resolutions but rarely successfully implemented them long term. After much reflection on why this happens, I’ve landed on key points that may have led to my demise.
Number one, big goal, no path to get there. I like to think big! Making amazing goals is not my issue. My struggle is actually having a plan that gets me to the destination. For example, one year my resolution was to “start to cook”. Great goal, but I was immediately tripped up by the fact that I didn’t feel confident in making much of anything. I hate reading recipes. I don’t like shopping for groceries and anything that takes more than ten minutes is way out of my “ability to focus” timeline. This goal sounded great, but the steps needed to implement it were big obstacles. Number two, I never really wanted this goal. Truth? I like the idea of wanting to learn to cook, but I don’t actually want to cook. Being honest with myself about doing the work to learn a new skill like cooking, versus just liking the sound of being someone who made beautiful meals, was a big revelation.
This year I’ve reworked my approach to resolutions to keep in mind that it's not just about the end goal. A successful resolution is understanding the relevance of that goal for you, being able to measure your progress, and having a specific path for how you are going to get there. In my wellness coach training we talked about SMART goals. This was a revolutionary way of thinking about resolutions. It’s exciting!
SMART stands for:
•Specific
•Measurable
•Achievable
•Relevant
•Time-bound
These five specific variables can help shape the pathway of a resolution for success! Let’s go back to my example above. I want to “start to cook”. Unspecific, unmeasurable, not relevant, or time-bound. I’d also say obviously not achieved. Using the SMART method I could’ve said, I’m going to cook two meals per week for dinner for the next four weeks, using easy four ingredient recipes that take less than ten minutes from a kit that comes delivered to my house to help my family prioritize eating healthy home cooked meals. Hey! I think I could actually do that… Maybe :)
Try the SMART method this year with your resolutions! It might help change goal setting stress into success! Stay well-ish Friends!
Xoxo,
Dani
