The Kitchen Table

🚂

By: Emily J. Degen

 

Even before Christmas, I had people asking me what my 2024 New Years resolutions were. Most of these people seemed excited to discuss it and already had their mind set on what they wanted to achieve. For the first time, probably in forever, I put some real thought into it. In the past, it was so easy for me to automatically throw out common desires, like “lose x number of pounds” or “workout 5 days a week” or “keep my house spotless”. I realized these were not practical for me with the way I went about it. I’m sure there are many people that could make any of these a reality, and I probably could, too, but I just never had a plan! In the past when I’d set these goals, I hadn’t even started them, yet knew I would fail.

Now, if your goal for the New Year really is to lose 50 pounds, and you’re set on this, then the best way to attain it is to get specific. Choose a realistic number of pounds to lose by a realistic date. Don’t shoot for the stars if you have no way to reach them. It takes a good amount of time to gain an extra 50 lbs., and you need to give yourself time to get rid of it. For example, give yourself the entire year: 50 lbs. ÷ 12 months = 4.166 lbs. per month. It seems this example could be very achievable and safe, too! It’s easier to set 12, 6, or even 3 smaller goals to help you reach your main goal. Being specific and breaking your goal down can be used for just about anything you’re trying to do. (Saving money using this method could work great!)

S.M.A.R.T is an acronym shown here, snipped from https://www.mindtools.com, that can help with any goal setting, any time of the year. I find that writing it all down on paper (not in your cell notes), kind of turns it into a real thing. If that makes sense.

What are Smart Goals?

S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that you can use to guide your goal setting.  To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be: 

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant). 
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating). 
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based). 
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive). 

This year, I thought an extra lot about what I truly wanted, and the first thing that came to my mind was how much I miss my mom. So, there it was decided. I would visit my mom as much as possible in 2024. (Side goal, I’d also like to see more live music! 🎶) But I still need to get S.M.A.R.T.🧠, so that these visits and concerts turn into reality.

If you set a goal for 2024 and have already stopped trying, it’s not too late (at all!) to make a plan and jump back onto that Resolution Train. You have ALL year to make it happen!

Cheers to 2024 & your goals becoming reality! 🥂