It’s a New Year: What Goals Will You Achieve?
I hope everyone had a magical holiday season and Happy New Year! Whether you made a resolution, set an intention, or fell asleep at 9 pm like I did, a New Year is an opportunity to set goals for yourself and work towards achieving them.
And yet so many people make resolutions or set goals but do not go on to fully achieve them. If that’s happened to you in the past, or if you are concerned about meeting your goals for this year, read on for some super effective hacks:
Hack #1: Share Your Goals
Sharing your goals with other people provides accountability. So whether you share them with a partner, friend, or with the world via social media (then there’s really no going back!), research shows that you will be more likely to achieve your goals.
Yes, it’s scary to put it out there, so I’m going to lead the vulnerability train by sharing one of my personal goals for 2022.
After giving birth this past November, it felt like my body was in shambles. As you may know, for the past several years I have devoted much time and energy to IVF and then pregnancy. This took a major toll on my body. Aside from the obvious (gaining weight in pregnancy), I basically stopped exercising, developed debilitating back and hip pain, and even developed a condition known as preeclampsia in which my blood pressure skyrocketed and my kidneys shut down.
No. More. One of my major goals for 2022 is to get back into great shape and feel good again in my body, setting the stage for long-term health and vitality. Boom- it’s out there so there’s no turning back!
Hack #2: Set SMART Goals
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Research shows that when you set SMART goals, you increase your chances of achieving them. Let’s take my goal as an example:
Specific and Measurable: I said I wanted to “get back in great shape and feel good in my body again.” What exactly does that mean though? How will I know when I have achieved this goal? This goal as currently stated is not specific or measurable.
To me, getting back in great shape and feeling good again means the following: Exercising at least 5 times a week for 30-45 minutes, reducing back pain and pelvic pain to low or non-existent levels, maintaining normal blood pressure (120/80 or lower) and a low resting heart rate (60s), returning to my pre-pregnancy weight, and getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep per night.
Achievable and Time Bound: While sleeping at least 6-7 hours a night is a lofty idea for a new mom, over time I believe that it is reasonable I will achieve these metrics. And when I say over time, I’ve set a time-frame of 6 months post-partum to get there (so May 2022). It will certainly be a challenge, but I believe it myself!
Hack #3: Connect To Your Why
I addressed the S, M, A, and T of SMART goals above, but what about R, Relevant? The idea behind Relevance is to understand how the goal aligns with your bigger picture. In other words, why is this goal important to you?
As a cancer survivor, I seriously value my health and well-being. I want to live a long life in which I actually feel good. A life free of pain (or at least minimized) and full of vitality and energy.
The challenges my body has faced in the past few years scared me. Not being able to walk because of back or pelvic pain is NOT COOL. Having high blood pressure and worrying about having a stroke is MOST DEFINITELY NOT COOL.
In short, feeling like an 80-year old woman in the body of a 38 year-old is not the way I envision my life. And frankly, when I picture my ideal future self, I see an 80-year old who feels like a 38-year old. A strong, healthy woman who still has the energy and physical capability to enjoy all life has to offer: getting from point A to point B on my own two feet, lifting my grandchildren, and traveling all over the world.
So after a long day, when I’d rather drink a cocktail instead of doing a spinning class, I close my eyes and remind myself of this vision. Well, 80% of the time… sometimes it’s OK to give into our vices and live a little :)
Hack #4: Invest In Your Goal
If you really want to ensure that you will reach a goal, you’ve got to invest. Ever heard the saying “you get out of life what you put in?” So whether it’s your precious time, effort or money, investing in yourself and your goals will create major accountability.
Think about how you will reach your SMART goal? What are the tools you need to get there?
Little-known fact about me - I’ve been spinning since I was 16 years old and actually got certified as an instructor the year after I beat breast cancer. While finances are tight with a new baby and a husband in his 12th year of training (surgeons…), I finally got myself a Peloton. And I’m obsessed - I use it nearly every day!
I also started going to physical therapy, purchased a subscription to a nutrition app, and hired part-time childcare so that I would actually have time for myself (gasp).
By investing in my goal, I’ve put myself in the best possible position for success.
What are your goal(s) this year? Try out Hack #1 and Share Your Goal With Me right now!