Ditch the Resolution, Build a Ritual
The presents are unwrapped, and the thought on many people’s mind is, “what is my new year’s resolution going to be?” However, this is also the time when the winter equinox has just begun, and nature begins its season of rest. The animals begin to hibernate as the trees, grass, and plants go into dormancy. This dormancy is not laziness; it is intentional and purposeful. This season of rest allows the trees to reset their growth hormones, and the fallen leaves provide nutrients for the soil to allow the trees to come back bigger in its next season of growth when spring begins. Yet even though nature knows that this is a time for rest and to prepare for growth in the spring (as well as the years to come), it is also the time that humans begin to experience the societal pressure to set their most challenging goals of the year.
Studies show that new year’s goals are achieved 8% of the time with 23% of people abandoning their goal within the first week and 80% by the end of January. Yet many of us year after year set a new goal, which we jump into without a structured plan, with an all-or-nothing mindset during a time when our bodies intuitively want to join nature in rest. Even those without seasonal depression are impacted at least in some way to the short days of this season with limited sun exposure that increases fatigue, which negatively impacts motivation levels. We fail our resolutions, and each year we tell ourselves that we will be “better” and “more committed” this time. Each time we fail a goal, our psyche is telling us that we are not capable, and our self-efficacy and self-esteem falls each time we break a promise to ourselves of what we hope to accomplish. With every goal left unachieved, we feel as if we “failed,” which decreases our chance of success on future goals due to the self-identification labels that we give ourselves. These labels are lies we tell ourselves that we may be “lazy”, “not motivated,” “incapable,” “weak,” “flawed,” or “undeserving.” But maybe it’s none of that, and it was never our level of commitment but rather just a goal we couldn’t complete during a time that many of us are not functioning at our highest potential.
What Makes a Successful Goal?
Before we look at a structured goal, let’s first explain what an unstructured or vague goal looks like. A vague goal is simply an idea of an outcome that one would like to accomplish without considering the timeline, the possibility of achievement, and measurable outcomes along the way.
A SMART goal considers if the goal is SPECIFIC in what one hopes to accomplish compared to their baseline behavior. It is MEASURABLE by being quantifiable with several benchmarks along the way to track progress, which decreases the all-or-nothing mindset from kicking in. It is ACHIEVABLE, which considers how likely the goal is to be accomplished based on other factors that may come up and how big of a change the goal would require based on baseline behavioral patterns. It is RELEVANT, meaning the cons of what it would take to accomplish the goal are worth the effort. Finally, it is TIME-BOUND, which states parameters in which the goal will be achieved. Goals are also more effective when they are based on behaviors rather than results. Having a structured goal increases success rates from 10%—the percentage of success of an unstructured plan—to 76% when the goal is SMART, is written down, has benchmarks along the way, and has a higher focus on the behaviors that will change rather than a statement of what one wishes to achieve.
This year, maybe we ditch the hype of waiting for a specific date on the calendar and instead be intentional about planning out how to achieve goals in a way that best suits our lives. This shifts the focus from the performative “New Year, New Me” energy to a more sustainable and rhythmic approach to personal growth. As you define your SMART goal, here are some tips to keep in mind should you choose to take this season of rest to plan rather than jump in with an intensity that may not be able to be maintained year-round.
Start Small: Instead of a total overhaul, identify one small habit that aligns with your future self. If you want to be a writer, write one sentence today. If you want to be healthier, drink one extra glass of water. These “micro-wins” build the evidence that you are someone who follows through, which increases the self-efficacy needed for current and future goals.
Focus on identity goals: When your behavior and your identity are aligned, you are no longer “trying” to change; you are simply acting in accordance with who you are. There is no “failing” a goal; there are only days where you cast more or fewer votes for your preferred identity. An example of this pivot could be shifting from “I want to save more money” to “I am a person who plans for my future; therefore, I will deposit X amount of money into my savings account every week.”
Be intentional not intense: Motivation is what gets you started on making goals, but intentionality keeps you going. You don’t need to “reshape your life” in a weekend. You just need to show up today as the person you want to be tomorrow.
Audit your environment: Auditing your environment is about reducing friction for the habits you want to build and increasing friction for the ones you want to break. Your surroundings should act as an “invisible hand” that nudges you toward your target identity. This can look like organizing your physical space, spending more time with people who support your goals, and being cognizant of social-media use that may distract you from your goals and who you wish to become.
Learn from past failures: Reflect on past goals that were set and unachieved. What went wrong? Were your goals too aggressive? Was your goal too vague? Was there a plan of achievement? What outside factors impacted your difficulty in being able to take actionable steps for your goals? What can you do differently this time?
No matter when you decide to begin your goal, consider ditching the hype and set yourself up for success, one intentional step at a time. Even if you feel yourself falling short of where you hoped to be, remember that each day is an opportunity to reshape your life with goals that honor who you are and where you want to go. You do not need to wait until January to begin again.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”