That whole “new year, new me” mantra puts a lot of pressure on people, but many still embrace it when making New Year’s resolutions. The thing is, the ambitious, far-reaching goals that we often set for the year ahead can be tough to stick with and when we fail? We feel bad about ourselves. That happens a lot, according to therapist Emma Mahony, who says more than half of these yearlong resolutions will fail.
So, instead of setting a strict and lofty goal, consider a different approach: Smaller, monthly goals - or themes - instead of one big resolution. These can be part of a bigger goal, like improving your physical health, or they can be self-improvements that you want to make. Mahony says the key is to pick something actionable and small, that you can achieve within a month.
This is why you may want to give monthly themes a try:
- They take away some pressure - Having to sit down and decide what you want to do for the entire year can feel like an overwhelming task, psychotherapist Tasha Bailey says. But making monthly goals instead helps ease the pressure that comes with resolutions for the whole year. Since monthly themes are shorter, they can feel less scary and easier to reach.
- They allow for flexibility - Life is full of chance and your life could look really different in a few months, which could make your resolutions for the year unattainable. But if you’re working on monthly goals and one doesn’t go as planned, you can try again a few months later. You also have the flexibility to alter your actions and tweak your monthly theme if it’s not working.
- They keep your goals exciting - Working on the same resolution for a year can get old, but you can keep your goals fresh by adjusting them monthly, Bailey says. You’re less likely to get bored with goals that change 12 times in the year. Plus, you’ll get a boost from achieving those short-term goals that will help motivate you to reach the next monthly theme.
Source: Huff Post