Setting Goals For A Successful New Year

It seems like March was only yesterday, but yet doesn’t—consequences of a strange year. Nevertheless, 2021 is only a few days away and, with the start of COVID-19 vaccinations underway, the promise of a better year is before us. While we still have some tough days ahead and the return to any semblance of normal will be slow, we will definitely get there. 

As I suddenly realized I needed to grab a 2021 planner, I realized this was also the time of the New Year’s resolution list tradition. You will have probably noticed every other site or YouTube video has it’s new year tips for organization, etc, etc. I guess this post will be mine. 

Issues with New Years Resolutions 

If you have trouble with new year resolutions, you are not alone. I personally dislike the “Traditional New Years List,” which is the list of things you are going to start (or stop) doing at the turn of the new year. This notion of starting or stopping seems extreme to me. If you are looking to develop a healthier lifestyle, for instance, it comes with developing new habits. New habits don’t suddenly start. They develop. They take time—and likely with some lapses along the way. I used to try to go “cold turkey” with my resolutions, but would only last about three days before I’d broken at least one of them. Obviously this method didn’t work for me, and to make matters worse would make me feel like I’d failed with the year barely started! It was time for me to adopt a slightly different approach. 

I decided to try to go with more general lifestyle goals achieved over the entirety of the year. To meet the goal, I needed to follow the goal for the majority of the year—which would likely make the goal a habit by the year’s end. These more generalized goals allowed for lapses, etc, but still followed a strong direction. For instance, if my goal was to have a healthier diet, I would say “eat more veggies and fruits” or “follow the plate method at most meals” (where half your meal plate is veggies). This minimizes the junk food or cheat meals I eat, but still allows for them to happen occasionally. By making a similarly-styled list of general lifestyle goals, you are reorganizing and reaffirming your goals for the year. These can of course range from healthy living to business goals and beyond! 

To figure out your goal list for 2021, it’s generally best to go over your list for 2020, or simply reflect on your successes and mistakes over the last year. This will give you a place to start. 

2020 Remembered 

2020 has been a rough year for everyone. For me, it started out well, with a busy work schedule and planning my summer wedding. I bought my wedding dress in January, both sets of parents met face-to-face in February, and I continued rushing around the city playing concerts and teaching as a professional freelance musician. In March, this all came to a screeching halt as the arts and events industries shut down. 

I count myself extremely fortunate despite everything, but in reflecting on my goal list, obviously the pandemic did throw a bit of a curveball, particularly for professional work goals. 

However, a lot of my personal goals were actually met. To satisfy the “explore someplace new” goal, my husband and I managed to get away for a long weekend within New York State. I of course also continued exercising and attempted to eat in a healthy balanced way (always an issue for me!). We even checked off the “enjoy our wedding “ goal, as we managed to get legally married at the city clerk just before their office was closed (read this post for more on celebrating a wedding during the pandemic.) And of course, this blog was born this year! 

As you do your own reflection, ask yourself:

• What goals did you still meet this year? 
• What goals are still in progress? 
• What would you like to do differently next year? 

Reset for 2021

Your answers to these three key questions will form the basis for your 2021 goals. For me, the healthy diet is still a work in progress and will remain on my list. New on my list will be a goal to publish a blog post every two weeks at minimum (hoping for every week in reality, but that may not be realistic long-term.) What are your goals? Try to select the goals most important to you, staying under 10 goals on your list. Too many goals can be overwhelming. 

Write your list down in your planner, calendar, journal, or wherever it is easily accessible throughout the year. Check in with your list at various times over the year to remind yourself of your goals. Make plans according to those goals. See if you’ve addressed or completed those goals by the end of 2021! 

Wishing you all a very happy new year!!! See you in January!