Goal Setting: Taking Baby Steps

Every January people across the country set New Year's Resolutions. We want better habits, stronger relationships, more fulfilling careers. You get the point. But putting all of this undue pressure on ourselves by setting goals just sets us up for failure. It’s why I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago. By the end of each January, I was disappointed in myself and back to the old habits I’d promised to kick in the new year. 

I’m certainly not alone in this. According to this study, 45 percent of Americans set goals and make these resolutions in any given year, but only 8 percent actually follow through. It’s not simply that their resolutions are unattainable; it’s just too much change for one person to make—and too focused on changing behaviors, which is a challenge in itself.

That’s why I feel it’s important to take baby steps when goal setting—any time of the year. The idea that we’ll magically wake up one morning and be completely different is unrealistic, not to mention extremely stressful both emotionally and physically. While it’s not always easy to take these baby steps (especially if you’re impatient like me!), there are ways to make these small changes stick and reach your goals.

Goal Setting Tip #1: Make a list

Yep, make a list, check it twice, you get the gist. But be sure to make your list is realistic. Truly think about what you want to change in your life, what goals you want to reach, then write it down. If you’re aiming for January 1 changes, now’s a great time to start. It gives you a few weeks to let your goals sink in (and a few weeks to change them if needed).

Goal Setting Tip #2: Take your time

Many of us end up trying to set too many goals at once: Eat better, exercise more, make more time for friends and family, save for retirement. This results in way too much pressure, and in most cases an abandonment of everything we’re trying to achieve. Instead of wiping the slate clean and trying to be an entirely different person with entirely different behaviors, set one goal at a time, and be patient with yourself. 

Goal Setting Tip #3: Make it a habit

Some say it takes three weeks to make anything a habit, while others say it’s more like three months. In either case, it’s important to be patient and persistent with that one goal. If you tackle them one at a time, you can focus 100 percent on that one goal and nothing else until it sticks. Trying to eat better? Focus only on that. Once you’ve made eating healthier more of a habit, you can set your next goal of incorporating more exercise into your daily routine.

Taking these baby steps—and reaching your goals one at a time—can be empowering. It can also organically lead to a new habit that wasn’t originally on your list: Make small, positive changes for a big, positive impact!