What are Resolutions?
Resolutions, in the context of personal development and goal setting, are firm decisions or intentions to do or achieve something specific, usually over the course of a set period, such as a year.
Resolutions often involve making positive changes in one’s behavior, habits, or lifestyle. They are typically set at the beginning of a new year, symbolizing a fresh start and a commitment to self-improvement.
“The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions. Some 4,000 years ago, they were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year.”
Today, setting a New Year’s resolution is a tradition of writing goals for the coming year. The goals could be to continue doing something well or resolve to change a habit, learn a new skill, or plan a vacation.
Resolutions most likely conjure up the faithful list as people prepare for the new year. Yet resolving to improve your life or make profound changes in your habits goes way beyond the New Year’s list. Follow along with my blogs and I will share ways to move in a progressive direction.
We define ourselves by the choices we make. If we decide to be in control, we allow ourselves an excellent opportunity to manage the outcomes in our lives. The other option is to let your friends and family decide on your path.
What areas should you set goals?
This is personal. What do you want to accomplish in 2024? Maybe get a promotion at your job, build a stronger relationship with those close to you, or learn to dance. It is about where you want to focus your time. The only way to make changes is to focus your time and energy on a destination in mind. We each have 168 hours in a week. We focus much of that time on areas of work, school, eating, sleeping, and grooming. Did you really mean to spend 3 hours on the Internet, or 5 hours watching TV? Is there some other way you can use your time to make your tomorrow’s better? I have been maintaining resolutions for most of my life, and now have a plan of action that works for me. You will need to develop your own system. That is why I want to provide other sources for you to see how others go about setting goals. Then you do it your way.
Maintenance Goals –A different kind of New Year’s Resolution – YouTube
Own your personal development: self-improvement goals that motivate.
Keep it Simple
Four Steps to Write a New Year’s Resolution You’ll Keep
How To Write a New Year’s Resolution in Four Simple Steps (languagetool.org)
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
I would like to introduce S.M.A.R.T. goals. I encourage you to use this goal-setting method as we move through this journey. S.M.A.R.T. goals are a method of follow-through, answering all the questions about the goals.
George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham, in their 1981 article “There’s a smart way to write management goals and objectives developed S.M.A.R.T. goals.” The same principles apply to an individual’s goal setting.
S – Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
M – Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
A – Achievable (agreed, attainable)
R – Relevant (reasonable, realistic, and resourced, results-based)
T – Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, time-sensitive)
For example, – Specific: A specific goal is much more likely to be accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal, you must answer the six “W” questions:
- Who: Who is involved?
- What: What do I want to accomplish?
- Where: Identify a location.
- When: Establish a time frame.
- Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
- Why: Specific reasons, purpose, or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”
For more on S.M.A.R.T. Goals, check out UMass Dartmouth’s website – Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals | UMass Dartmouth.
Recommended Reading
My book Resolutions: Life Planning Tools, Hopes, Plans, and Dreams, by Linda L. Pilcher
#Goals, #GoalSetting, #NewYearResolution, #NewYear, #Goals, #Lifeplan
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