Setting and Achieving Goals

Happy New Year! I hope you are bounding into 2023 and beyond with enthusiasm, optimism and happiness! And although that may be a wrap for the holiday season, there is one more gift you can continue to give year-round. Remind yourself, today and always, that a healthy you is the best gift you can give yourself and others.

Your health and happiness should be a top priority all year, not just at the start of a new one. So while a New Year’s resolution can be an excellent opportunity to set, focus or re-focus on your wellness goals, approach it with a long-term vision that supports and promotes an active lifestyle beyond the first few weeks of January.

Like the New Year, let’s start at the beginning — with the word itself. Instead of resolution, I like to think of it as a goal. This simple shift in terminology transforms our thinking to something more positive. Mindset makes all the difference.

So, if you set a New Year’s resolution for 2023 and two weeks into the year you find yourself wondering why you set it or how are you going to achieve it, you are not alone. But I am here to help! Whether you set a resolution for this year or not, I welcome and invite you to read on for some recommendations on setting and achieving your goals!

Identify Your Why

Why is this goal important to you? This is the North Star on your path to successfully fulfilling your goal. When things get tough, when life gets busy, when schedules seem impossible or when you quite simply just don’t feel like it, your Why will help to guide you back on track. This is your compass, you will be lost without it, so be sure to pack it for your journey!

Define Your Resolution Goal

Be specific. What exactly are you planning to achieve. And remember, you define your goal, your goal does not need to define you. Set a goal you WANT to achieve.

Set Manageable Milestones

Divide the broader goal into more manageable milestones. This keeps your goal moving forward and it gives you wins on the way to overall victory. Carving out milestones is also an incredibly helpful tool when defining the goal and thinking it through step by step.

Be Realistic

Ask yourself if this is achievable and if you have access to the time, tools and resources necessary. Defining your goal and putting it into milestones will help you determine if your goal is realistic and what, if any, additional tools or resources you may need to achieve it.

Have a Plan

Put the pieces together in the form of a plan. This should include a schedule — when, where and how are you going to achieve this. And it’s OK if the schedule changes along the way, but you need a schedule as a starting point. Your plan should account for anything you may need to acquire to achieve your goal. If it is a health and fitness goal, having the right gear is important to prevent injury, to set you up for success, to help you feel prepared and to build confidence. The right gear does not need to cost a fortune, it just needs to be what works best for you. And your plan should remind you that sleep, fuel and hydration are incredibly important to our overall health, happiness and goals. The plan may evolve but if you truly want to achieve your goal, you need a plan. This is what will catapult your goal from wish to reality. If your why is your compass, this is your roadmap. Don’t leave home without it.

Write It Down

This helps to make it feel a little more real. And, if you’re nostalgic like me, it’s fun to save as a reminder of everything you achieved. You can put this on paper, in your phone, on your laptop, wherever works for you, but definitely document it.

Prioritize Progress Over Perfection

Celebrate progress. Develop a routine and be consistent but don’t sweat setbacks. Life happens, let adaptability be your ally in this process rather than allowing the quest for perfection to be your enemy. Remember, your plan is your roadmap but there are often many avenues to our destination. Don’t be afraid to modify and adjust the plan as necessary.

Share With Motivators

For all those wonderful people in your life who cheer for you, support you, motivate you — share your goal and plan with them. They will help encourage you on your path to achieving your goal. And, bonus, you will probably inspire them along the way, too. Positivity creates more positivity.

Prioritize Rest and Recovery

Rest and recovery are keys to success, not only in this but in all things! The more complete your recovery, the more you will get out of each future effort you put forth. Rest and recovery are just as important as the activity itself.

Be Intentional

This is your goal. This is your time. Make it count. Try to avoid turning your goal into a to-do list to check off and instead embrace the goal, be present, be intentional. It will be far richer, far more rewarding and therefore far more likely to succeed short- and long-term.

Find Joy in the Goal

I am a big believer in finding joy in what we do. The process of achieving the goal should bring you happiness and a sense of accomplishment. It’s not to say it will always be easy, but it should be rewarding. Goals should be forward looking, reaching constantly ahead, one step at a time. Goals should not stem from guilt or bring worry, they should not cause you to constantly look back at where you are coming from but instead should inspire you to eagerly and excitedly look to the present and the future.

Express Gratitude

Be grateful. For the goal. For the ability to pursue it. For the steps you are taking. For the milestones you have achieved. For where you are and where you are going. Be grateful for those who support you. Be grateful for those who you inspire. Be grateful for the lessons learned. Be grateful for the goal. Be grateful for you!

Be Kind

On the path to achieving your goal, and always, be kind to yourself and to others. Do not be hard on yourself. Be kind. Be patient. And pursue your goal with an open mind and the confidence you have set a goal you believe in and will achieve.

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If you show up for your goal, your goal will show up for you. Believing is seeing! Good luck, have fun and let me know if I can help in any way!

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As a columnist for FauquierNow, this was originally written by me for Fit in Fauquier, our fitness and well-being column.