By Aarushi Anandakumar, @aarushiideca | Centennial High School, TX
The new year can represent many things: a fresh start, a do-over, another journey, etc. But to many people, it emphasizes a new chance to achieve something you haven’t before, and become the best version of yourself.
Resolutions, however, are not simple to check off. People may get burnt out or overwhelmed from the intensity of their resolutions, without creating an action plan. At the end of the day, resolutions are long-term goals that require planning, habits, positive and realistic thinking.
In this article, you will learn how to set and achieve your personal goals to become your ideal version of yourself SMARTly!
Specific
Your resolutions should be specific and clearly define what you want to achieve in the new year. When making your vision boards or resolutions, be AS specific as you can in what you want to attain. Many people make the mistake of generalizing their goals, such as “become the best version of myself,” instead of “be more proactive with my work/school life.” Having specific goals can help you visualize your accomplishments and manifest your success rather than blindly following an idea with no real direction.
Measurable
Resolutions are meant to be long-term goals that require consistent effort. This means that your goals should be measurable and you should be able to track your progress. For example, this can look like “spend 30 minutes after school to finish my homework” or “run for 15 minutes on Wednesdays,” rather than “go to the gym more.” With measurable goals, you essentially give yourself a deadline to hold yourself accountable and motivated.
Achievable
While resolutions are exciting to plan with the extra ambition that accompanies the fresh start of a new year, it’s important to set realistic goals you are likely to achieve within a year or by your own deadline. This can mean setting attainable goals, such as “save X amount of money this year” rather than “buy 2 cars”. Not only do realistic goals make your vision more feasible, but you are also less likely to burn out or get overwhelmed from the pressure you’ve put on yourself.
Relevant
Make sure your resolutions align with your vision. When your resolutions are worthwhile, you move forward rather than waste energy on unimportant ones. If you are looking to improve professionally, a relevant goal may be “expand my professional network.” Whereas, a not-so-relevant goal may be to “go to the gym daily."
Time-bound
The real secret to creating resolutions is making deadlines. When you are at school or work, the deadlines on your projects keep you on track and motivated to complete the task. The same goes for goals. When you develop an action plan, time management is crucial to your progress and achievements. This can look like “run 3 miles comfortably by June” or “publish 3 articles in 5 months”. Time frames in goals not only help you stay organized but also create a sense of urgency you can’t ignore.
Put It All Together!
With SMART goals, your resolutions should look something like:
- To improve my endurance for running, I will run a mile 3 days a week, for 3 months, drink and eat nutritiously to support my body.
- I will expand my networking skills by attending 1 industry conference a month, and connecting with 3 individuals on LinkedIn a month
- I will enhance my productivity for school by using the Pomodoro method for an hour after school every day and putting my phone in a separate room to avoid distractions.
When you use the SMART method to create your resolutions, you hold yourself accountable, stay realistic, stay motivated, track your progress and take action to turn your resolutions into reality!
