Setting New Years Resolutions

As January 1st approaches each year, people start to think about what they want to change in the coming year. New Years resolutions may be unique to the United States, but it’s everywhere as the holiday season ends and the calendar gets ready to turn to a new year.

How can you make New Years resolutions work for you and your family – instead of against you?

The same tips that helped with how to set goals can help here, too. Here’s how to think of those ideas when goal planning for your new year.

• Don’t get carried away. This is also known as be realistic. It is oh so tempting to make your list of resolutions and family goals long and daunting. You have a whole year to achieve these goals, right? Uh huh. The thing is that making a long list of longer term goals may be more overwhelming than it is motivating. Make it manageable and you’ll have a much greater chance of success. And, geez, if you get everything accomplished by March, you can come up with a whole new list!
• Give it a positive spin.New Years resolutions seem to come with built-in baggage because they are aimed at “fixing” something you are not doing well – or at least not as well as you want. It can be hard to stay motivated when your goals remind you what you could or should be doing better. Psychologically, framing your goal planning and personal goals in a productive way can keep you in the game longer and give you a better chance at success. It’s no different than your mom cheering you on in Little League. That positive reinforcement helped you keep trying.
• Get motivated by focusing on what you do well. A positive spin will get you started but calling on your talents will keep you on the path to achievement. Use your strengths to make progress even in those areas that seem a little harder to manage. Are you a great organizer and record keeper? That will help you start and keep the family budget or design a weekly allowance program for your kids.
• Get the whole family involved. It is no fun to work towards family goals on your own no matter how positive or worthwhile they may seem. Having partners in your goal planning and working on them together can be the difference between reaching goals or having them fall to side. Make the family budget a true family project. Talk to other parents about what works for them on kids’ allowances or teen chores and work together to find creative solutions.
• Adapt, change and go with the flow. Even the best laid plans can need to be changed or updated. If you find that your goal planning is suddenly outdated or just isn’t working, revise it. Sticking with goals that don’t fit you or your family doesn’t help you get to where you want or need to be. That’s not the same thing as just giving up because it seems too hard. The key is knowing the difference.

New Years resolutions can be a great way to jump start your goal planning for the coming year. Using these tips can help you get off to an even better start by helping you focus on the key things that keep your family goals manageable and motivating.

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