By Sophie Chiang ‘23 and Julie He ‘23
2020 was not the best year for most of us, and thankfully 2021 has arrived. As we head into a new year, we find that there’s 365 days worth of time for self-improvement and accomplishing goals. Making New Year’s Resolutions is a familiar and fun tradition for many people. They can be goals or practices that a person would like to achieve by the end of the year. It can be a promise to start doing something productive, like recycling, or to quit something harmful, like smoking or drinking. It can also be as simple as checking your emails every day or something more difficult like running ten miles every day. Many people set these as goals to better themselves or achieve something that they have wanted to do for a long time. However, many people break them or do not follow up before the year ends. They deem it too hard, or they may simply get lazy and give up. Some don’t even try at all. This is mainly because they set the wrong goals or don’t know how to frame them for maximum achievement potential. Backed by research, this is how you can achieve your resolutions and become a truly better version of yourself after just one year.
The best way to set a goal is by following the acronym SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
Be specific. Don’t be too general, as you will never truly know when you have reached the goal. Be sure to answer the 5 whys: what do I want to accomplish? Why is this goal important? Who is involved? Where is it located? Which resources are involved?
It should be measurable. When setting a goal, make sure to quantify/specify exactly what you want to achieve. For example, if you want to “get good grades this year”, what exactly does that mean? You should specify, “I want to get straight As this year” or “I want to get on the honor roll”. This way, you will have a definite indicator when you have reached your goal, and it serves as a concrete motivation.
It needs to be achievable and realistic. If your goal is too ambitious, it will only leave you feeling worse when the year rolls to an end and you haven’t accomplished it. Make sure to answer the question, how can I accomplish this goal?
Your goal should be relevant. Is it worthwhile? Is it the right time to set your mind to it? Is it applicable to your current situation?
It needs to be timely. You should set a rough deadline to increase incentive. This also helps you create a priority list of which goal you should focus on first.
Lots of people also have trouble coming up with resolutions. Here are some resolutions to get you thinking!
Read one book every month
Drink at least one bottle of water per day
Give out one compliment or say something positive to someone every day
Incorporate at least one salad into every meal
Try cooking a new recipe
Begin the day by reading the news
Make a new friend or talk to someone new
Make a schedule for homework and stick to it
Minimize your screen time by a certain percentage
Spend time with your family and talk/facetime them at least twice a week
Clean your room every week
Find a new hobby
Try meditating or writing
Quit one bad habit you have
Go to bed earlier/wake up earlier
Sharing your resolutions with others may also help. Studies show that sharing your resolutions and progress with somebody can keep you motivated. If someone else knows what you are aiming for, you might be more inclined to not renege. Giving yourself rewards can also be beneficial. For example, treat yourself to a piece of candy if you ran a mile or give yourself a break if you followed your homework schedule. Hopefully, by following SMART, you will achieve at least one of your goals by the end of the year and transform into a happier, healthier, and more successful you.