The beginning of a new year is a good time for reflection whether or not you make resolutions. It is helpful to reassess your goals and priorities in life periodically, and a new year provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Asking yourself these questions can help you come up with some goals for yourself.
o What do I value the most?
o Is my current life aligning with my values?
o Am I spending time on things I consider important?
o Do I want to make any changes to my life?
o What is a priority right now?
Having specific goals and working towards them allows you to realize your dreams and build the life you want to have. When coming up with goals:
Set small achievable goals:
Be realistic. Even small steps towards a big goal counts.
Start with a few goals:
Making any change is hard. It helps to start small.
Be specific:
Details matter. What will you specifically work on? How will you measure progress?
Prioritize:
Choose goals that are most meaningful to you first.
Have short timelines/deadlines:
Plan for 2 weeks at a time.
Make room for setbacks and failures:
Expect setbacks to happen. They are not exceptions.
Be patient:
These things take time. Rome was not built in a day.
Be kind to yourself:
This process will not be smooth or perfect. Try not to be hard on yourself.
Keep at it:
The beginning is the hardest part, soon enough you will have created a habit. Habits do not take as much work.
Be flexible:
Reset your goals and expectations as needed.
Wish you a healthy, peaceful and happy New Year!
Dr. Sayanti Bhattacharya, MD, MS