How To: Set Achievable Goals For the New Year

It’s the final month of 2022, and while festive celebrations are in full swing, some people are already looking into the future. As the cliche goes, new years is a time for setting goals which often are forgotten and unachieved by the start of February. And while we’re not ones for caring about NY resolutions, setting goals that you can actually pull off isn’t a bad skill to have.

Whether you use these tips for goals made at the beginning of the year or not, this How To guide will teach you how to create objectives that are attainable, achievable and will change your life for the better.

Figure out what your goals are

This might sound completely obvious, but humans are naturally a lot more easily influenced than we think. Have you ever seen your friend or someone you admire start a business and thought; ‘I should do that too’? Yes, well we all have, as comparison is common and inspiration can be found anywhere. 

The problem with that is we might not think through if this is something that we personally want. The idea of it may seem attractive, but the reality could be completely different. This leads to the ‘false hope’ phenomenon, which clinical psychologists describe as having illusion-based rather than reality-based expectations. This means that once the idea of it has been shattered or the routine of doing the task has become boring, we’re more likely to give it up.

To avoid this, you should be really introspective about what your goals should be. Ask yourself these questions:

• Which needs do I satisfy by achieving this goal?
• Does achieving this goal bring me closer to being the best possible version of myself?
• What will I do if I get bored on the way to achieving this goal? What alternative strategies are there?

 This should filter out the targets that aren’t reflective of your life plans, and which may have arisen from an unmeaningful place. 

Use the S.M.A.R.T acronym

Once you have an idea of what you want to achieve, to make it possible, you need to pair attributes of it to the different parts of the S.M.A.R.T acronym. 

S = Specific

Making sure that your goal is specific will make it easier to understand how to achieve it. If one of your goals is to get more freelance writing work, reword to be more precise about who you want to write for: for example, change ‘get more freelance writing commissions’ to ‘be commissioned by Fashion Minority Report to write a fashion feature’.

M = Measurable
Adding a time frame will motivate you to keep going. Instead of just saying ‘I want to save more money’, say ‘I want to save £500’. This gives you a clearer direction of how to achieve your goal, and will start the process of creating steps to achieving it.

What if your goal isn’t as measurable? Just like the example used in the Specific section. It’s a bit hard to measure when you’ll get that commission, as there are many outside factors at play that aren’t in your control. In which case, try to add a measurement to each step towards that end goal. E.g. Send at least two pitches to the editor of FMR a month’.

A = Attainable

Realistically, the best way to achieve your goals is to set ones that are attainable. There’s no point having ‘Learn the entire French vocabulary within one month’ as a goal (despite being both specific and measurable) if you don’t speak any of the language, as the likelihood of that happening is very slim. You want to achieve the goal, so be honest with yourself about how best to achieve it and how long it’ll take.

R = Relevant
What’s a relevant goal? Ones that are relatable to your life. It might seem obvious, but it’s part of the idea of attainability. You need to see this as something that can fit into your lifestyle, to make it less avoidable and more achievable. 

That shouldn’t put you off from making bold goals, just as we said in our first step, make sure that it’s something that you really want before you embark on it.

T = Time-Bound

The quickest way to motivate yourself is by putting a time limit on your goal. Whether it’s a week, month or year, it’s bound to give you direction and will stop you from delaying yourself from starting.

 

Be flexible

Seemingly contradictory, being flexible is actually one of the most effective ways of keeping track. Allowing yourself the space to change your plans prevents the feeling of guilt that occurs when you don’t make any progress towards that goal that week. 

In fact, it’s backed by science. Marketing expert Marissa Sherif conducted a study where she had people download a step-tracking app on their phones. Then, she split them into three groups: the first one had the goal to reach their step target seven days of the week. The other one had the goal to reach their daily step target five days of the week. The third group had the goal to reach their daily step target seven days of the week, but they had two emergency skip days in case of need. The third group was the most motivated and the participants often completed even more steps than the target required.

Don’t be a perfectionist

While this is easier said than done, avoiding perfectionism is the best way to keep yourself mentally well. While it can bring positive traits like attention to detail and motivation, an obsession with being perfect can lead to higher levels of stress, burnout and anxiety – this won’t help you achieve your goals.

If you struggle with perfectionism, try to change your fixed mindset into a growth one with these affirmations.

• You are not perfect. Nobody is. Get to know yourself better: what are your strengths and weaknesses? What can you do to improve?
• You’ll make mistakes forever. However, try to avoid repeating the same mistakes over and over again. How? Reflect.
• Failures are not a reason to drop out from whatever you’re doing. They’re valuable lessons.
• Negativity and self-criticism are toxic. Try implementing some positive affirmations into your daily routine to boost your motivation. Replace complaints and excuses with a concrete and productive action plan.