It’s well past January 1st so why the heck am I writing a New Year’s resolution post now?

Well, because I didn’t then. And ever day is a new year! In fact, every moment is a new year. An opportunity to make a fresh start, to make changes, to set new goals.

And how many of you have already given up on those resolutions you set back at the start of 2021?

No judgment here. But I will give you some tips to keep setting goals any dang time you feel like it!

Tip #1

Radically accept the past and current reality. Sometimes we just wish we could go back and change things that have already happened. Especially this past year. Can I get an “Amen?!” But unless someone’s invented a time machine I don’t know about, we can't actually do that. And I’ve seen enough of those sci fi movies to know that probably isn’t the best idea anyway. All we can actually control is our current response and behavior in this moment. 

Tip #2

Try to assess your past goals nonjudgmentally. Look at what worked for you and what didn't. It isn't necessarily good or bad, just an objective inventory that can help you set new goals. Be real with yourself and ask for feedback from someone you trust if that’s hard to do.

Tip #3

You can set intentions rather than or in addition to specific goals. Setting goals is absolutely necessary to fulfill dreams, but sometimes you aren’t sure what you want or have already set a bunch of goals. The intention can be an entire sentence or simply one word. Something that’s a reminder of what's important to focus on. Such as, “Breathe!” or “I choose ease in the face of challenges,” or “May the force be with you.” Whatever works.

Tip #4

Add something to your life. Often we set resolutions from a place of lack. Like we’re going to lose 20 pounds or get up two hours earlier! Sure, sometimes we can do that. But often we find ourselves failing miserably by the end of the month... if we’re lucky. But… if we add something to our lives that we actually enjoy, we find it a lot easier to meet our goals. One year, I resolved to invent one new cocktail a month and you bet, I kicked the crap out of that resolution! You could resolve to take a dance class at 8am if you want to exercise more and get up earlier. I’ll bet you’re far more likely to succeed in your goals that way.

Tip #5

If you set big resolutions, be sure to break them down into SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) and smaller goals so that you’re more likely to succeed at accomplishing them. The biggest thing that sabotages our goals is getting overwhelmed by too large of ones. And reassess them regularly…. Because, well, life happens.

Tip #6

Make sure your goals are yours and that they speak to your heart. Don't set them just because everyone else is or someone else thinks you should. This is about you and what's truly important to you so listen to that inner voice and trust it. 

As there seems to be a light at the end of this COVID-19 tunnel, more and more of us are contemplating what we want our life to look like going forward. This is the perfect time to set some mindful and meaningful goals. There might be goals that were put on hold that we’d like to reinvigorate. Or maybe our values have shifted so we want to set new goals that are more in line with them. Or maybe our life circumstances have changed and we have to set new goals as a result. Perhaps all of the above. Either way, I’d love to hear about your goals so please share in the comments below. And if you have any of your own goal setting tips to share with the rest of us, please do. We could all use as much support as possible as we begin to emerge from this COVID-19 cocoon.